2017 Wine of the Sea (Villa Canestrari) ILLASI VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE Valpolicella D.O.C. Italy (6-bottle case)

Winery Notes

"Submerging wines underwater for several months gave way to experimentation that brought Marko to ”Wine of the Sea”. A form of ”ageing” wines under the sea proved to be something that changed the wines. Very soon did he and the winemakers whose wines he sunk realize that the structure of the wine had changed, bringing them a wine that differs greatly from the same one resting in the cellars on land."

"Wines selected for submersion are among the world’s finest even before entering the Adriatic, but not every fine wine is made to be submerged. Each wine selected fits a specific set of characteristics that make it a qualified candidate for this aging process.

Each bottle is equipped with a special composite cork and sealed with two layers of wax ensuring that the bottles allow nothing to enter them while submerged."

"The bottles are placed 100-feet below the water’s surface. The conditions at these depths make nature’s greatest wine cellar.

• Temperatures are consistently cool
• Zero light from the sun is able to reach the bottles
• Aging is intensified and accelerated under tremendous pressure
• Waves keep the bottles in motion, forcing molecular breakdown for a constant smoothing of the wine

Each bottle spends a minimum of one year under water, depending on what variety of wine is submerged. Some bottles are left to age for as many as two years."

"This elegant and fragrant Valpolicella strikes with intricate aromas of tobacco, sandalwood, and black cherries, along with hints of dark rum, chocolate, and dried fruit. A combination of both fresh and dried grapes during fermentation gives the wine a velvety, juicy texture accompanied with generous tannins that round the wine up into a magnificent, food-friendly wine."

About the Winery:
"Villa Canestrari is an artisan winery that has been working 20ha of land in the Illasi Valley for four generations. Their story began in 1888, when Carlo Bonuzzi started making and bottling wines on the estate. Villa Canestrari as a brand was created in the 1990s, with the merging of the Bonuzzi and Franchi families and thus becoming a symbol of high-quality winemaking."