About the Wine

Celestino Gaspari may not be a name you recognize from the Valpolicella, but his hand has touched some of the most important wines to ever come out of the region. After marrying Giuseppe Quintarelli's daughter, Celestino apprenticed with the master for a dozen years until 1997. Celestino then ventured off on his own and consulted at several top properties in the region including Bertani and Romano dal Forno. In 1999, he launched Zyme, his own project from his garage.

Zyme is Greek for "yeast". The logo for the winery and the winery itself is a pentagon, which mirrors the grape leaf. If you're ever in the area, the winery must be seen to be believed as it's an incredible dichotomy of modernity and natural winemaking built above a 15th-century sandstone quarry. There is literally an underground stream running in between the huge boulders in the cellar that help maintain natural humidity. It is a contemporary winery that oozes eco-sustainability.

Everything about Celestino and Zyme is like peeling an onion. Layer upon layer is gradually revealed in the label, the symbols, the names, the blends, and in the wines he crafts too. From the first scent of the nose on the wine, you'll be drawn in, wanting to know more about the wine, the man, and the place. The winemaker is a philosopher and a competitive person striving to experiment and tinker until he can produce the perfect wine.

If you love aged Italian wines, this wine over-delivers. Celestino's top wine is Harlequin and it's priced similar to the top Amarone of the region (>$300/btl) Kairos is the second wine, made similar to Harlequin. It's an experimental blend that with age has transformed into a true experience that must be tasted to be appreciated. 

The label shows the link of Kairos to the Harlequin project: Harlequinʼs costume is composed of pieces of many colors, just as the wine is composed of 15 different grapes, each with its own characteristics. In ancient Greek, Kairos means “opportune, at the right moment.” The addition of the sundial and the clock express the idea of exact time.

Aging: 24 Months in 100% New French Oak

Tasting notes: Red Wine. 15 Different Varietals (4 white, 11 red: Garganega, Trebbiano toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syraz, Teroldego, Croatina, Oseleta, Sangiovese, Marzemino) with some air drying of grapes prior to fermentation.

In the glass, the wine is a dense ruby red, with garnet highlights. The nose explodes with rich and complex fruit.Driven by fruit, spices, marmalade, and forest floor, followed by pipe tobacco, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. A kiss of minerality following the complex palate put the tremendous depth of this wine on display. Pairs with elaborate dishes of all meats with hearty and spicy sauces. Excellent with aged and full-flavored cheeses and with game.

Run, don't walk to purchase this wine. This wine delivers the joy we all need.

**Special Note Regarding Older, Vintage Wines like this: Red wines lose color with age. Unfiltered red wines like this have sediment and this has nothing to do with the quality of the wine. The cork may be moist or even crumble, but this doesn't effect the quality of the wine either, as long as the bottle isn't leaking. This particular wine benefits from 30 minutes of aeration prior to service.

Reviews

The 2004 Kairos is conceived as the second selection of the estate’s flagship Harlequin. It is a deep, super-ripe wine loaded with dark fruit. The French oak is a touch overbearing here, which keeps the score from going higher. Kairos is made from a variety of red grapes which are dried prior to vinification. The wine spends 24 months in French oak prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018. ~90 Antonio Galloni

Proprietor Celestino Gaspari boasts one of the most extensive resumes in Valpolicella. Once widely considered the heir-apparent at Quintarelli, where he worked for a number of years, Gaspari subsequently consulted for a number of local wineries, helping launch some of the most exciting young properties on the scene. More recently Gaspari has scaled back his consulting activities to focus on his own project. The dramatic Zyme cellars are carved out of rock and hold some of the most dramatic wines being made in Veneto today. Zyme is still a young property, and I am curious to see what happens here over the coming years. Gaspari is highly ambitious and technically very proficient, as these wines clearly show. The open question is whether he will allow the wines to express more personality over the coming years. Given his track record elsewhere, there is every reason to think that will indeed be the case. There is a very clear struggle here in trying to acknowledge tradition on one hand, while not being excessively bound by convention on the other hand. As a result, the top wine here is not Amarone, but Harlequin, a blend of various grapes given a short time of air-drying and aged in 100% new French oak. All of these wines required considerable aeration for some of the SO2 to blow off. ~90 Wine Advocate

Gambero Rosso ~Due Bicchieri

***Free Shipping on 6 or more bottles of this wine***