Ca' di Rajo, Notti Di Luna Piena 2011, Piave DOC, £26.95

Mellow red wine with rich aromas of black cherry, cinnamon, and leather. Buy this Decanter Bronze medal-winner at Independent Wine
Traditional wine from Veneto with juicy red fruit flavours and soft tannins Raboso Piave has its home along the Piave river, 30 km north of Venice. Raboso (rabbioso - angry) is notorious for its powerful tannins and high acidity. That's why Notti di Luna Piena benefitted from long ageing, as its tannins have now become smooth and soft. To make the wine's flavour richer and more complex, the winemaker air-dries part of the grapes. This process is known as appassimento and is used across Veneto, to produce such wines as Amarone or Recioto di Soave. Winemaking 30% of the Raboso grapes in the wine are air-dried in fruttaio for a period of 40 days. As a result, sugars, acids and flavours become more concentrated. After crushing, the grapes are fermented in oak vats for 20-25 days. The long fermentation, carried out at a temperature of 24-26°C, helps to extract colour and tannins from the grape skins. The wine is then aged for 36 months in small French oak barriques. The long ageing is essential to soften the Raboso's harsh tannins. Tasting note In the glass, Notti di Luna Piena has has a deep garnet shade. It offers juicy flavours of red cherry and wild blackberry. The palate reveals notes of cinnamon, dark chocolate and leather. Tannins are mellow, soft and velvety, and are balanced by fresh acidity. Awards Concours Mondial Bruxelles 2014 - Gold Medal | Mundus Vini 2015 - Silver Medal