Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Laurello Vineyard Rodavi, NV

Laurello Vineyards is a great family-owned boutique winery located in Geneva, the heart of Ohio Wine Country. Laurello combines a wide variety of quality wine, a great tasting room and pleasant, knowledgeable staff. This being Ohio Wine Month, we wanted to highlight one of their popular reds, Rodavi.
Laurello is located in the Grand River Valley and the Wine Growers of Grand River Valley have been quite successful promoting their wineries through events such as their annual Turkey Trot and Ice Wine Festival events. They have a full line of whites, reds and ice wines, many with the Grand River Valley designation.
We have visited the winery several times and interestingly, they seem to have a real touch with Super Tuscan wines. Super Tuscans originated in Italy where winemakers broke the mold and began producing Sangiovese-driven blends in a break with traditional wines. Laurello produces Rodavi, which is a blend of Merlot, Sangiovese and Petite Syrah, and also Cosmo, which is a Sangiovese and Merlot blend. These have been top picks each time we have visited.
We were treated to a bottle of Rodavi by tasting team member Dr. J, who visited Laurello and came away impressed as well. We cracked the bottle open recently and found it to be a real people pleaser.
This is a smooth bottle from top to bottom with only a whisper of tannins. This is a dry wine with a refreshing dollop of red strawberry and cherry flavor notes. It is medium bodied and has a flourish of vanilla.
Rodavi is designated “American,” meaning that the grapes (some if not all) probably came from California. Not surprising since Sangiovese is not a staple of Ohio vineyards. However, the winemaker’s skill comes through in a delightful package at a reasonable price of about $19.
June is a perfect time to visit an Ohio winery and taste all they have to offer.
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