When one mentions the Veneto, enjoying a glass of white Soave might come to mind, or perhaps sipping some Prosecco while visiting Venice. But if you're a red drinker then Valpolicella or a hearty meal accompanied by its concentrated rich cousin Amarone probably comes to mind. These wines usually blend the indigenous varietals Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.
Rondinella is fairly neutral in flavor, used more for its color, and its high sugar content helps out in the drying appassimento method of creating Amarone, especially for the sweeter recioto style. Molinara is added to the blend when the winemaker feels more acidity is required. Corvina makes up the majority of the blend providing fruit flavors and aromatics.
Merlot is one of the principal varietals of Bordeaux, comprising a majority of the blend in wines of the Right Bank from Pomerol and Saint Emilion, and playing the secondary role for wines of the Left Bank from the Medoc and Graves. In Tuscany, Merlot has been embraced, often as a solo varietal near the coast in Bolgheri or often blended with Sangiovese further inland. These types of wines that use a varietal not traditionally from the region have come to be known as "Super Tuscans".
Sergio Zenato built his winery based in passion and love for local grapes and wine of the Veneto. He also appreciated the concept of the global palate and felt he could create a wonderful wine from Corvina and Merlot. Cormi is the outcome of this wish and its name combines the first syllable of each grape as well as references "Cor" or cuore, the Italian word for heart.
So then could this wine be considered a Super Venetian? Well without assigning labels, let's just say the is a wonderful value of a wine. I found notes of violets and rose petals wafting from the glass, which interplayed with flavors of cherries, blackberry and plum and a finish of ashen-like tannins. Zenato's website recommends pairing it with roasted meats, but it seemed to work well enough with chicken cutlet parmesan when I last enjoyed it. With 92 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and a price tag of only $19.99, I suggest you try pairing it with a few dishes!