# Carpino (2018)

- **Producer:** Cantina Ricchi
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Merlot
- **Region:** Lombardia, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €25
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, violet, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, cedar, chocolate, leather, tobacco, forest floor, dried fig

## About this wine

Cantina Ricchi, located in the rolling morainic hills south of Lake Garda in Lombardy, is renowned for producing wines that beautifully express this unique microclimate. The 'Carpino' is a flagship red, crafted entirely from Merlot. The Stefanoni family manages the estate with a deep respect for the land, utilizing sustainable practices to cultivate grapes that benefit from the lake's tempering breezes and glacial soils. This wine represents a harmonious blend of local tradition and international grape expression.

## Interesting facts

- The wine is named 'Carpino' after the hornbeam trees (Carpinus) that dot the picturesque morainic hills surrounding the Ricchi estate.
- The 2018 vintage of Carpino was awarded a prestigious Gold Medal at the Selezione del Sindaco / Città del Vino competition.
- Lake Garda's unique microclimate provides a sub-Mediterranean environment, allowing Merlot to ripen perfectly with balanced acidity.

## Food pairing

The structured tannins and rich dark fruit profile of this Garda Merlot require dishes with matching weight and protein. Rich meats like beef and lamb soften the wine's tannins, while the earthy undertones of mushrooms complement its oak-aged complexity.

## Wine making process

The grapes for Carpino are carefully selected and hand-harvested at optimal ripeness. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with extended maceration on the skins to extract deep color and structured tannins. The wine is then aged in French oak barriques for approximately 12 to 18 months, followed by a refining period in the bottle before release, allowing the complex tertiary notes and oak integration to develop.