We've offered Zyme's wines a few times before, but have finally managed to get direct access to their stock, including a huge selection of back vintages!
Gaspari is, as Robert Camuto wrote for Wine Spectator, "certifiably not normal", showing at once a devotion to tradition and to experimentation. That explains the curious duality of his portfolio. On the one hand, a superb, traditional Valpolicella range, strongly informed by his time with Quintarelli.On the other hand, wines like the Harlequin, which is not made every vintage and is a blend of both red and white varieties from Veneto — around 15 varieties in total. The grapes are fermented with their stems and matured twice in new French oak barriques, followed by 2 years in bottle, and production is around 300 cases. The blend changes every year, but includes Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay; Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syraz, Teroldego, Croatina, Oseleta, Sangiovese, and Marzemino.
This is a winemaker who marches to the beat of his own drum and achieves outstanding results along the way.
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Why we like it:
• Celestino Gaspari trained under Quintarelli, but similarities end after the Valpolicella wines: Zyme's other cuvées are entirely Gaspari's inventions.
• All direct from the winery.
• A huge list of back vintages — all in extremely limited quantity!