Torami on the Lake

~ Lake Trasimeno from the Fortezza at Castiglione del Lago ~

Castiglione del Lago is a charming hill town that sits on a promontory which juts into the southwest corner of Lake Trasimeno.  It is hard to imagine a hill town any more charming than this.  After arriving at the centro, it's a short walk up an old stone staircase into the historical center of the town.  As with many similar hill towns, one side of town is dominated by the church, the other by the Castle, which here has a commanding view of Lago di Trasimeno. 

Lago di Trasimeno is one of the largest lakes in Italy and sits near the border of Umbria and Tuscany.  It's hard to discuss wine from this corner of Umbria without reminiscing of Castiglione del Lago.   It was here that I discovered the wines of Lamborghini many years ago; so now whenever I enjoy one of these racy Umbrian reds,  I think of Castiglione, the lake and the nook and cranny streets that give this town it's charm.

~ Castiglione del Lago:  Like my photos of San Gimignano, this one fascinates me architecturally because we see three different size & style doors on one building ~ 

The Lamborghini estate lies just south of Castiglione del Lago so the wines are widely available within the town.  Today we're looking at Lamborghini's newest wine,  Torami,  named for a local farm and produced from 100% Montepulciano grapes.  This is the second part in a three part series of articles we're producing on Lamborghini.

The vines that produce fruit for Torami were planted in the 1970s and are now almost 40 years old.  Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine is aged 12-18 months in French barrique.  Before release, the wine rests in bottle for 6 months. Riccardo Cotarella is at the helm.

~ We stopped here repeatedly for wine, cinghiale, and cured sausages laced with tartufi neri ~

The 2009 Lamborghini Torami is a lovely Umbrian red.  We decanted the wine for 45 minutes before dinner simply to aerate the bottle. No sediment was present.  In the glass the wine is a deep ruby color that is almost impenetrable.  Aromas of crushed plums, white pepper, herbs and flowers are notable. 

On the palate, the wine is racy and polished with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. The crushed black plums are tinged with mocha, spices and dried herbs.  A fine dusting of fennel makes its appearance on the finish.  Cotarella's deft hand is evident here and this is a substantial Montepulciano.  We enjoyed it with grilled sausage and turkey burgers!  90 points.  SRP ~ $30.  Disclosure: This bottle was an importer provided sample.

~ 100% Montepulciano from Umbria:  I love the legs on the glass in this photo ~ 

Salute!