Held Back, No Vibes
TASTING NOTES: “Intense ruby red color. Clear notes of strawberries, raspberries, spice and vanilla stand out on the nose. The wine is soft and enfolding on the palate; the right balance between acidity and tannins leaves a pleasant and persistent aftertaste in the mouth.” (AbV 13.5%)
VARIETALS: Minimum 80% Sangiovese, approx. 15% Merlot, approx. 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
BARRELS: In stainless steel at controlled temperature of 24°C-27°C with 12/16 days of skins contact.
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Riserva.
That’s Italian for “reserve,” and “reserve” is one of those words doing about six unrelated jobs across English depending on where you bump into it. A wildlife reserve is land held back from development. A reserve player is a guy held back from playing. The Federal Reserve is money held back from circulating, in theory, to keep the whole system from combusting. Reserved seating is a chair held back so a stranger can’t have it. All of it traces to the same Latin root, reservare — “to keep back” — and every single meaning is just a variation on “not yet, but available later.”
What’s funny is how differently countries police that idea once it lands on a wine label. In Italy, Riserva is a legally defined term — you have to hit specific minimum aging requirements before you’re allowed to print the word, full stop, no vibes-based exceptions. In the U.S., “Reserve” on a wine label means whatever the winery decided it meant that morning. No law, no minimum, no oversight body checking your work. Same six letters, wildly different level of accountability — which feels like it should be a bigger scandal than it is.
ICYMI, you have two choices:
- Worried Summer heat might get to your wine before your wine gets to you? Order from the sale linked here, and we’ll get it to you at a cooler time of year!
- Want it shipped now? Every package during the summer will have protected temp control ground shipping for much of the country that takes longer but will ensure safe delivery. Expect up to two weeks for delivery. Now through the September 12th offer.
