Vinous Obscura ‘Censer’ Sagrantino
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Sagrantino has mysterious origins, but is considered an Italian grape. It was resurrected in Umbria by Signore Caprai in the 1970’s after decades of neglect.
- Sagrantino has the highest polyphenols and tannins of any wine grape in the world, making it perfectly suited for longevity. This wine will evolve in bottle and will benefit from further cellaring.
- Vine age is 9 years and is grown in volcanic, sedimentary soils.
- Low intervention farming.
Varietal: 100% Sagrantino
Elaboration: Hand harvested. 19 days of skin contact. Fermentation in Hogshead oak for 12 months.
Tasting Notes: Aromatic explosion! Showing an incredible array of potpourri aromatics; dried roses, pomegranate, myrrh, frankincense, and lava rock. This wine is compact, with gorgeous layers of dark fruit flavors and generous dusty tannins.
PRESS
2021 – 93 Wine Enthusiast | 90 Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The Vinous Obscura brand from Golden Cluster is centered around grapes sourced from two experimental nurseries and vineyards. One is on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge and the other in Forest Grove in the Northern Willamette Valley.
There are over 200 different grape varietals between both vineyards. In some cases, these are the first ever plantings of these grapes in the USA, others are the first on the West Coast, some are rare clones. This grower has decades of grape growing and winemaking experience in New York state and belongs to a network of growers and academic organizations who work together to establish the viability of certain grapes in different soils, climates, and regions. Golden Cluster is making some of the first commercial wines from these rare grapes.
Golden Cluster, of Willamette Valley, Oregon is the vision of owner/winemaker Jeff Vejr. Established in 2013, all of Vejr’s wines are produced under the Golden Cluster umbrella, but Golden Cluster also represents some individual wineries throughout the area.
Today, Veijr produces his wines at the David Hill Winery, which was originally the Charles Coury Vineyard & Winery, one of the first vineyards planted in Willamette Valley after Prohibition. David Hill provides him with the “uncommon grapes” he sources and most of these were planted between 1966-72. The Golden Cluster name is a nod to the memory of Charles Coury and the Semillon grape variety.