Last week I was inviting some friends for a dinner over and as time passed by some very good wine bottles were uncorked. Today’s review is dedicated to the 2001 Serafini & Vidotto Il Rosso dell’Abazia. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I will mention the other wines at the end of the months in my monthly mini-review edition.

Serafini & Vidotto

Serafini & Vidotto is an Italian winery located near Treviso in the Veneto region that was founded in 1986 by Francesco Serafini and Antonello Vidotto. Francesco is an oenologist and the cellar master of the winery whereas Antonello dedicates his passion to the labor-intense work in the vineyard. The vineyard is located in the tiny and to many unknown Montello & Colli Asolani DOC, which covers a small area around the town of Asolo. The area is hilly and marks the transition from the Alps to Venetian plains.

Serafini & Vidotto produces 14 wines. Il Rosso dell’Abbazzia was the first wine produced by Serafini & Vidotto and is also considered, next to Phigaia, to be their flagship wine. The winery cultivates mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Glera (Prosecco).

Let’s take a closer look at the 2001 Serafini & Vidotto Rosso dell’Abazia. 

Tasting Notes

Rosso dell’Abazia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The grapes were fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and barriques. After fermentation the different “wines” age between 15 and 24 months in oak. Back in 2001, the wine did not meet the Montello & Colli Asolani DOC requirements but a few years later the DOC was reformed and newer vintages of the Rosso dell’Abbazzia are now classified as Montello & Colli Asolani DOC. However, the 2001 vintage is classified as Veneto IGT.

Prior to drinking the wine was decanted for roughly two hours.

In the glass, there was a garnet red color. Rosso dell’Abazia had a surprisingly low ABV of just 13% (many Italian wines that were made for aging have a higher ABV).

The nose, opened up with very intense aromas cherries, plums, pepper and vanilla. Tobacco and forest fruits showed up after additional time. Such a lovely and harmonic nose.

On the palate, Rosso dell’Abazia was extremely smooth, dry and quite warm. The wine was full-bodied, quite sapid, vivid and had a medium acidity, which is much needed to guarantee longevity.  Complex, flavorful wine with spicy notes. Spectacular, never-ending, balsamic finish.

Parting Words

Il Rosso dell’Abazia was one of the absolute highlights of the evening. The wine convinced all of us and I’m a little sad that this was my only bottle of 2001 Il Rosso dell’Abazia. The first time I came in contact with the wines of Serafini & Vidotto was during my time in Bologna, Italy. I used to frequently buy their wines but here in Munich it’s not so easy to find them but fortunatly some stores carry them from time to time. Back in Bologna I tried the 2004 Il Rosso dell’Abazia and from what I remember it was perfect, too. I love consistency between different vintages. I have a bottle of 2007 Il Rosso dell’Abazia left but I plan to keep it closed for some more years. 

This is wine shows that Veneto is capable of producing high quality red wines outside of the Valpolicella. 

Find Il Rosso dell’Abazia on Wine Searcher 

What are your thoughts about this Italian Bordeaux-blend? Let me know in the comment section below. Cheers!

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