Roberto Cipresso; squaring the circle

Mathematician or not; you've probably still heard about it. Quadratura del cerchio, squaring the circle.

One of the classic challenges for the Euclidean geometry is the constructing of a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge. Proven in 1882 by the Lindemann–Weierstrass theorem to be an impossible task .Today we use the expression "squaring the circle" as a metaphor for doing something logically or intuitively impossible.

So, why does Roberto Cipresso name his attempt to unite Italy via the wine bottle Quadratura del Cerchio? Perche é impossibile?

I'm a big fan of Roberto. His Sicilian project Pigreco delivers and so does his Eureka from Tuscany. But perhaps it is his adventures in Mendoza together with Achaval-Ferrer that takes him to the top?

Uniting Italy. Via a wine. Roberto's Quadratura del Cerchio combines compatible terroirs from different parts of Italy . There's no limits. His only concern is that they blend well together. In 2005 he mixed Syrah from Sicily, Brunello from Tuscany and Sangiovese from Maremma. In his latest version, the 2006, he blends Syrah from Sicily, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese from Colline Chiantigiane. 

Friends of those modern reds from Tuscany more or less bathing in new barriques, will be disappointed when having the wine. So will those which hopes to find a northern Rhone resembly or a mini-Ausone hiding in the bottle. Roberto's 2006 clearly shows spicy Syrah from a warm region mixed with dark Tuscany cherries. Fine and lingering acidity. I could be mean and say i don't find any Cabernet Franc scents but then I would forget about the purpose of the wine, uniting terroirs .

Dark cherries, leather, dried tobacco, spices, licorice and also slight sense of scorched earth. Held back on the nose, probably needing some more bottle age. On the palate it is Tuscan, oh yes, with that fine iron feeling, morello's, tobacco and bay leafs. Just a slight hint of oak. Fine balance and depth thanks to the acidity. The tannins are present but caressing the palate.

If this is an impossible challenge I leave to the Italians to decide, but perhaps it should be served nation wide on the 17th of March this year, when the country commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Italian Republic?

(2006 Quadratura del Cerchio, Roberto Cipresso, 90-91 p)

Can be purchased here.