2012 Fattorie Dei Dolfi Imeneus

Please contact Alan directly if you are interested in these wines – as En Primeur they are currently in barrel and not in stock. An unparalleled and unique wine.ImeneusThe myth says that Imeneus, offspring of Aphrodite and Bacchus, was a young Athenian of modest social standing but of extraordinary beauty. ​He fell in love with a  young noble girl. While she was travelling to Eleusis, she was captured by pirates with her handmaids; among them was also  Imeneus,  who was mistaken for a  girl. While the captors were sleeping, he slew them all and brought the girls back safe to Athens. For his courageous deed,  he was awarded the hand of his beloved. For this reason, the ancient Greeks invoked Imeneus as a bringer of happiness in marriage.Introducing Fattorie dei DolfiBorn from ancient family vineyards and the infectious passion of a career-change winemaker, Fattorie dei Dolfi is a relatively young estate with a remarkably bright future. Giovanni Dolfi initially pursued a very successful career as a horse trainer during which he had the opportunity to meet the Queen Mother and began working for Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta, the owner of the legendary Tenuta San Guido which produces Sassicaia. Through this connection, he was introduced to the estate’s winemaker, Giacomo Tachis, who is regarded as the father of Sassicaia and was named Decanter’s Man of the Year in 2011. From then on Giovanni’s fate was sealed and it was only a matter of time before he and Giacomo began exploring how to unlock the potential of his family’s century-old vineyards close to the city of Pisa. Most of Fattorie dei Dolfi’s plots are surrounded by woodland which helps to shield the vines from contamination from other forms of agriculture and preserves a high degree of biodiversity. As well as creating a very low incidence of disease, this also means the estate does not need to use any chemicals on the vines. To allow the remarkable quality of the fruit to shine through, Giovanni uses a light touch in the winery as well with his wines ageing in oak barrels previously used for Sassicaia. The estate’s top wines will be produced in tiny quantities of a few thousand bottles a year, making them highly attractive for investors and collectors of fine and rare Italian wines.The Imeneus red is crafted using the Prugnolo Gentile grape which is the Sangiovese clone typically used in Montalcino. Imeneus is a more serious red that ages in oak barrels for up to 36 months. This bottling is a true collector’s wine with a remarkably complex flavour profile and high investment potential.Tasting NotesImeneus is an earthy, spicy wine. Smooth and mellow with hints of iron. The tannins are quite crunchy with this wine. ColourJoyous ruby red, velvety and brilliant.FragranceFull, rich and persistent with hints of fragrant fruit in perfect harmony with sweet spices that give it complexity.FlavourIt has exceptional skills of elegance in order to be truly unique, aristocratic and with a closing of great length and cleanliness. Giovanni explains it best: ‘I hope that my drinkers could imagine themselves standing on the hills of Poggio ai Venti with me, feeling the warmth of sunshine, the mild sea breeze on their faces, hear the chirping of the birds in the quiet woods around and see a grey hare rush through the vineyards. All these feelings of harmony and equilibrium are inside my wines.’Bottles ProducedVintage 2008: 1419 (no more available).    Vintage 2009: 1452 (no more available).    Vintage 2010: 1709 (no more available).Vintage 2011: 1450 (no more available).Vintage 2012: 1452.SpecificationsYear2012Bottle Size750mlCultivar100% Prugnolo Gentile (or Sangiovese Grosso)  the same grape varietal used to produce Brunello di Montalcino (one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines).CountryItalyAlcohol content 14.5%Units of Alcohol per Bottle10.9 unitsTypeRed WineBarrel Maturation 24-36 months in carefully selected barriquesCellaring Potential2021-2045Food Matching Giovanni doesn’t recommend matching it with food, ‘the wine is extremely delicate and silky, only when you have a clean palette could you appreciate all the unique qualities of this wine’.Allergen InformationContain SulphitesOriginTuscany IGT