The Ca’ di Rajo Raboso Del Piave 2007 Notti di Luna Piena (translates to Full Moon, is 100% Raboso Del Piave grown in an estate vineyard by the Piave River near the city of Treviso in Veneto, Italy. Raboso Del Piave is indigenous to the eastern Veneto region and is a grape that exhibits strong tannins and acidity. The name Raboso means “angry“, since the tannins and acidity are so prominent when the wine is young and the mouthfeel is so stringent that it seemed like the wine was mad at you.. The subtitle, Notti di Luna Piena refers to a tale that tells that on a full moon you can see the Devil standing with one foot on an old fortification tower and the other on the bell tower of the 16th century ruins on the property Ca’ di Rajo. This wine is produced in a style reminiscent of Amarone, 70% of the Raboso grapes are picked, pressed and fermented in the usual way, but 30% of the grapes are picked and then left to dry for 40 days before they are fermented. The dried grapes are aged in small barrels for 2 years and the other grapes are aged in large barrels for 36 months. The two are blended together, bottled and then aged for an additional 9 months, The alcohol content is 14.5%. The Ca’ di Rajo Raboso Del Piave Notti di Luna Piena 2007 is an age worthy (the 2007 is the current release), small batch wine, produced with premium local grapes in a labor intensive and unique style, that oozes “terrior” and should be found for a little over $30, I call that a bargain.
The color is a deep and dark plum red with a cherry red see-thru halo. The nose is intense and spicy, rich, ripe red berries strike first, then black pepper, new leather jacket, cinnamon, rare spice from India and smoke from the Weber grill. If this wine was tannic and acidity when it was young, it certainly is not now, there is excellent balance, the fruit flavors are rich and full the acidity and tannins flow seamlessly in the body of the wine. It tastes of slightly jammy blackberry, ripe plum, raisin spice, black pepper and raspberry. The mid-palate adds bright strawberry, sour cherry and a slight tug from the tannins. Even though this wine has been aging for the past 7 years the fresh fruit flavors and sleek acidity give it a bright youthful quality. The finish and the main body of the wine are one and the same and slowly fades away.
The Ca’ di Rajo Raboso del Piave 2007 is a top quality, interesting bottle of wine. The interplay between the flavor of the dried Raboso grapes and the fruit forward freshness of the other Raboso grapes gives the Notti di Luna Piena intriguing depth and richness. I did not know what to expect from a Raboso wine, the only other Raboso wine on the CWF website is a Spumante (Italian for Sparkling wine) from Veneto, that was not a Prosecco. The Ca’ di Rajo Raboso was a wonderful drinking experience, excellent balance and delicious flavors that can only come from a wine that has been properly aged (or “mellowed” as the Ca’ di Rajo website refers to the aging process). This is not a wine that will be available everywhere, but if you are lucky enough to come across it, you owe it to yourself to give the CA di Rajo Raboso del Piave a try.
