Product Description:

This 2-pack includes 1 bottle of 2010 - Ampeleia Kepos, and 1 bottle of 2010 - Sportoletti Assisi Rosso.

2010 - Ampeleia Kepos:
"The 2010 Kepos is striking in this vintage. Dark cherries, plums, spices, licorice and tobacco are some of the notes that jump from the glass. Sweet herbal nuances appear later, adding complexity and aromatic lift. This is a hugely intriguing wine from Ampeleia that constantly changes in the glass. The Kepos will be fascinating to follow over the next handful of years as it starts to settle down in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020."

"I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Ampeleia this year. Every time I went back to the wines, I found a new shade of dimension. A gradual conversion to biodynamic farming and an increased use of cement vats are stripping these wines to the bare essentials, and what comes through more often than not these days is pure class." (06/12) - 92 Pts Antonio Galloni - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"A lovely strawberry and raspberry nose. Aromatic and perfumed. I like the acidity; turns savory. Delicious and clearly outstanding. A Maremma red from Foradori's Elisabetta Foradori from Trentino." (04/13) - 91 Pts James Suckling - JamesSuckling.com

"Full, bright ruby-red. Redcurrant and pomegranate on the nose, with spicy and herb notes emerging with air. More wound-up and less fruity than the Unilitro bottling, hinting at sweet red berry and spice flavors with a strong undercurrent of underbrush. Gains flesh with air but this will need a couple years in the cellar to open fully. Finishes firm and very persistent. One of the better Kepos vintages to date." (09/12) - 90+ Pts Ian Dagata - International Wine Cellar

Wine:
"Five Mediterranean grape varieties from the vineyards of Ampeleia di Sotto blended in a single wine. These are the winery's vineyards closest to the sea, where the Mediterranean scrub dominates the landscape permeating the air with its fragrances: this is Kepos, the authentic and natural interpretation of Ampeleia's warmest and most radiant nature."- Winery

Winery:
"In the 60's, Erica and Peter Max Suter, a Swiss couple, bought the abandoned farm and turned it into a rural estate with woods and pastures, breeding sheep and pigeons as well as planting a vineyard; soon the Meleta winery (in Italian Meleto is an apple orchard and the winery's name derives from the orchard on its land) was known for its wine and products. It was at that time that Cabernet Franc and Merlot were brought to Roccatederighi."

"Ampeleia di Sopra: Ampeleia di Sopra:70 hectares, of which 15 hectares of vineyards - Ampeleia di Sopra is the largest land unit of the estate. Placed between 450 and 600 metres above sea level, it is mainly planted with Cabernet Franc. The different exposures, the various soil-types and the climate marked by sea breezes meeting the land's energy - these are the elements that determine the uniqueness of these sites, dominated by chestnut woods. Ampeleia di Sopra includes the "Lo Sbocco" vineyard where the Merlot vines used for Empatia plunge their roots."

"Native to the Near East, the grape varieties brought together in Ampeleia - among many others - took root in the Mediterranean farmlands, contributing to the definition of a fundamental aspect of our cultural identities. Having migrated in Roman times from the Caucasus, through Albania, to Venice, today, Cabernet Franc is also present in Maremma: fruit, spice, elegance and body are the qualities it conveys to Ampeleia. The quintessential Tuscan grape variety, Sangiovese, was already prized by the Etruscans, who named it "Sangue di Giove" - Jupiter's Blood: it imparts its strength and constancy to Ampeleia." - Winery

This wine was also scored 89 Points by the Wine Spectator.

2010 - Sportoletti Assisi Rosso:
"Intense and developed if not exactly subtle or complex fruit; a dry finish. A bit simple. Tough now. Drink from 2012 to 2014. (JR)" (10/12) - 15 out of 20 Points, Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages.

Wine:
"Ruby red with violet hues. The nose shows fresh with fruity notes of cherry and raspberry, sweet spices and chocolate. The palate is soft and well structured, with a final complex and tasty tannins." - Winery

"The Assisi Rosso is a delightful, full-bodied red made from a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet, grown at about 400 meters above sea level to where grapes will develop bright fruit flavors accompanied by heightened aromatic qualities. The wine is macerated for about 10-15 days, then aged in used wood barrels for a few months for optimum smoothness." - Importer

Winery:
"For generations, the Sportoletti family has always also been passionately dedicated to producing wine in Umbria. At the end of the 1970s, brothers Ernesto and Remo decided to turn their attention exclusively to winemaking. With great reverence for the teachings of their father Vittorio, they began to bottle wines under their own label. From that point on, they began a long journey in pursuit of the perfect balance between innovation and tradition, endeavoring to unleash the full potential of their territory, situated on the hills between Spello and Assisi where they now own 20 hectares of vineyards from which they produce an average of 200,000 bottles per year."

"In 1998, the company decided to join forces with the highly esteemed agronomic and oenological consultant Riccardo Cotarella, thus marking the start of a highly successful professional collaboration as well as a valued friendship. They regularly replant their vines and cultivate them using the spur pruning system and high density planting. With 5,000 vines per hectare, they are able to control the number of buds and consequently the productivity of the vines. For the reserve wines, a first harvest of the grapes is carried out while the grapes are just beginning to ripen, in order to obtain an average yield of 1 Kg of grapes per plant. Vines currently cultivated include the indigenous Grechetto, for which they chose the G5 clone, a lower yielding yet more characteristic strain. The Merlot they grow is a particular massale clone that was selected and propagated from an old vine that had been on the property for fifty years and which, over the years, has given rise to one of their most successful wines. Specific clones of Sangiovese that provide a lower yield but are much richer in color were also chosen, the same holding true for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc." - Importer