Berserker Wine Exploration Week 4/18-24/2010: TUSCANY

WINE TALK
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Please join us for the third Exploration Week and break out some TUSCAN wines.

There are 4 main categories of wine under the Italian classification system.

Vino Da Tavola
Vino a Indicazione Geografica (IGT)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)

DOCG is the “highest” category and Vino da Tavola is the “lowest” so you might expect that all the best wines in the country would be DOCG, and none of them would be Vino da Tavola. But you would be wrong. MANY of the best wines are DOCG but some of the most famous Tuscan wines, the Supertuscans, at least started out labeled as Vini di Tavola or “table wines.” Now many of them are in the IGT category. And political influence and money has caused some rather insipid wine to be able to list DOCG on the label (not so much in Tuscany).

Here is a list of the Tuscan DOCG wines:

Brunello di Montalcino
Carmignano
Chianti (including sub-regions such as Colli Aretini of Arezzo, Colli Senesi of Siena, Colli Fiorentini of Florence, Colline Pisane of Pisa, Montalbano of Florence, Pistoia, and Prato, Montespertoli near Pisa, and Rufina near Florence)
Chianti Classico (from a defined central region between Florence and Siena)
Morellino di Scansano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Aleatico di Elba

MAP of Tuscan wines The older DOCG are designated 1-6. We would add Elba, 20, and Morellino, 25. Personally I would throw in Bolgheri as well (13).

GRAPES

The Sangiovese grape has long been central to wine-making in Tuscany. Think “Saint Jove” which traces back to Jupiter, King of the old Roman Gods. It is the main grape in Chianti, and Brunello is made from a clone of Sangiovese which is small and brown in appearance (hence the name “brunello” – little brown one). Morellino is another name for the Sangiovese grape as it grows in the Maremma, and means “little cherry”. In the town of Montepulciano, the Sangiovese grape is called the “Prugnolo gentile” and it is the basis of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. DON’T confuse this wine with the cheap wine, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo which is made from the Montepulciano grape. There is nothing wrong with that but the latter wine is not Tuscan and not as fine as the wines being discussed here.

Carmignano also is made from a blend of grapes which include Sangiovese, but in the small Carmignano district, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grow well and their use has been approved there for a long time, in contrast to most of the rest of Tuscany.

Vernaccia is made from the Vernaccia grape in the picturesque old town of San Gimignano. Visitors to Tuscany remember seeing the “skyscraper” towers built in a sort of competition between families in the middle ages. It is a refreshing white wine, and pretty interesting when made well.

Aleatico is a red grape with a floral spicy scent, grown in several areas of Italy (especially in the South). On the isle of Elba (where Napoleon spent one of his exiles) the grape is vinified in the “passito” style meaning that the grapes are allowed to get very ripe and then dried on mats. This results in a rich sweet red wine, which very recently was granted DOCG status.

Now, having established that many important Tuscan red wines are made from Sangiovese, we need to admit that things are hugely more complicated than that. In the mid-19th century, Baron Ricasoli established a formula for Chianti wine which used 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, and 15% Malvasia, a white grape. Those of us old enough will remember when Chianti typically came in the round-bottomed “fiasco” with a straw basket woven around the base. The wine was rather sharp and thin for the most part back then. White wine grapes increased making the wine light and dilute. Around 1970 producers began using less white grapes in the wine and increasing the percentage of Sangiovese. In this period Super Tuscans were invented by ambitious wine makers who wanted to produce wines of high quality that seemed to be impossible within the Italian wine laws. Piero Antinori began making Tignanello in 1971, from Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. A while later he began producing Solaia from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon. His cousin, Mario Incisa della Rochetta, began producing Sassicaia, a Bordeaux blend, in 1968, and another relative, Lodovico Antinori, began making Solaia in the early 1980’s.

The original Super Tuscans were completely outside of the Italian wine laws so they were simply labeled as Vini di Tavola, the lowest category. Of course the prices made it clear that these were far more ambitious than most VdT. In the mid 1990’s the laws were amended to provide the IGT category which would accommodate the sort of grapes used for Super Tuscans. Many accepted this designation but there are also several producers who simply have remained as Vino di Tavola.

You can learn more about how Super Tuscans came into being by reading Kyle Phillips’ article about Montevertine and Sergio Manetti.

As part of the relaxation of the wine laws in the 1990’s it is now possible to find Chianti made of 100% Sangiovese grapes, which before the changes could not have been labeled “Chianti” but would have had to be a Super Tuscan. Here is the Wikipedia history of Chianti:

Chianti from the 1960’s? What a “fiasco”…

There are MANY other wines with the DOC listing, and a complete list (AFAIK) is here:

http://www.roadtoitaly.com/tuscany_information/tuscany_information.html

Some obvious omissions of great wines from the DOCG category would include the wines of Bolgheri, a region in the Maremma (seashore) which produces Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto and other very famous Super-Tuscans, and the category of Vin Santo which includes the amazing sweet wines from the house of Avignonesi. If you click on Avignonesi in the preceding sentence you will see a picture of the golden grapes drying before vinification. I suspect that Heaven may strongly resemble the barns at Avignonesi. Here is a picture of the red grapes (Prugnolo gentile) being prepared for production of Avignonesi’s Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (partridge eye, a dark golden wine) which tastes even better than their regular Vin Santo. From this article in Italian:

At any rate, many of us have really good Tuscan wines in our cellars, and so this week of Exploration will provide an excuse to pop some corks and post some TN’s.

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toscana_(wine)

Gambero rosso (which translates as “pink shrimp”) is a widely respected Italian wine organization which rates Italian wines by giving them zero, one, two, or three bicchieri (glasses). Here is a list of the tre bicchieri from last Fall – it starts with Piemonte, scroll down a few screens to see the Tuscan winners (Toscana). Lots of Brunello and Chianti winners, and lots of Supertuscans.

http://www.bibliowine.com/site/notizie/tre-bicchieri-2010.asp

San Gimignano:

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I’ve recently been really impressed with the 2007 Chianti Classico subzones, particularly the brooding, firm fruited killers from Gaiole in Chianti. Two that stick out include:
2007 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico
2006 Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico

For whatever reason, my palate also starts to tremble over wines from the outlying Fiorentini subzone-a recent fave was the 2007 Castello di Poppiano Chianti Colli Fiorentini-oh my god-not a heavy handed powerhouse, just a seductress…

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I kind of whiffed on the past couple (could have tried harder) but I’m a huge Sangiovese fan and this will be easy, 10% of my cellar is Tuscany and I don’t need a lot of persuading to open bottles!

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I’m with Josh - thought the first wine exploration covered too much ground to be of any real use, and didn’t have any desire to post on Bojo (although I did find a '95 Bojo that I meant to pull the cork on just to see how bad it actually was [stirthepothal.gif] ).

But I’ve got lots to choose from here, so it shouldn’t be any problem lining up some nice bottles to drink from flirtysmile

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BTW, Frank, I’d be more impressed with your new avatar if you had Maria drinking a glass of Tignanello [wink.gif]

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I would actually have preferred to have kept the focus a little tighter, say on Chianti Classico and its subzones. I’ve been unearthing a tremendous wealth of properties from relatively small regions I never even knew were so dynamic until recently, so am looking forward to posts relating to the GREATs and hidden treasures of Chianti Classico. Bring it!

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Aleatico di Elba is now a DOCG too! Would love to pop some bottles along with you guys!

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Thanks Michele, I added it. Have there been other DOCG changes? This was so new that most of what I could find about it was written in Italian…

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I had a brief moment of panic today that I missed Tuscany week!!! WHEW!

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Yesterday’s bottle of Chianti Classico 2001 – Tenuta Fontodi – Alc. 13.5% was just about as good as entry level Chianti Classico gets and it inspires me to dig out notes of two other excellent wines from this fine estate at Panzano in Chinati. I cannot find any notes on a mature Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo, which is somewhat fuller and more complex than the basic.
Chianti Classico 2001 – Fontodi was a perfect basic Chianti at its peak with fragrant aromas, medium/full body, tangy acidity with a delicious hint of varnish, lively red fruit, wet leather touches and firm tannic structure singing harmoniously. Supremely moreish so that I had to pinch myself to avoid going down to bring up another bottle; 17/20.

Sept 13, 2009
Syrah “Case Via” IGT Colli della Toscana Centrale 1996 – Tenuta Fontodi – Alc. 13% - (€15 bin-end) showed complex and elegant aromas of dark fruit and cherries on a medium weight body with bright acidity, good depth and excellent finesse and length; a lovely wine from an unfashionable Tuscan vintage which I prefer slightly to its more opulent 2000 junior; perfect with duck, ceps and endives; 16.5/20+++ QPR!!.

Mar 25, 2007
Flaccianello della Pieve 1990 – Tenuta Fontodi; 100% Sangiovese.
I have some doubts about young Flaccianello which I have recently tasted, particularly the blockbusting 2003 with its malt after-taste, but this mature example is truly wonderful and I am hoping that the few bottles of more recent vintages in my cellar will develop in this way.

Decanted some 45 minutes before the meal, it was instructive to note how the wine’s bouquet developed over this time. At first quite there were subdued primary red fruit notes, but these slowly amplified to take on depth and complexity, including notes sour cherry, fine oil, balsam with some discreet malt blended in.
The colour was deep red with no bricking at the rim and, very important, the cork was solid and only stained at the bottom millimetre.
On the palate the wine encased these complex aromas harmoniously in a deep gently sweet-seeming body offset by quiet Sangiovese acid tang and firm but resolved tannic structure and above all great length. This is a Tuscan aristocrat and it passed my main test for greatness in a wine, namely I wanted to go on and on drinking it but, alas, it was my last bottle. (I did not give ratings then but this reads like 18/20.)
One observation, which also applies to mature Bordeaux; the wine’s harmony and balance seemed masked by the succulent beef which accompanied it (though perhaps the Béarnaise sauce was not a good idea). It only expressed itself fully in the pause between the main course and the dessert.


Sadly the local importer is so greedy in his prices that my loyalty is turning towards Fèlsina. My Fontodi stocks other than the Syrah have all been purchased on visits to the estate.

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Sadly the local importer is so greedy in his prices that my loyalty is turning towards Fèlsina. <<<<<<<

Bingo! I do question the pricing strategies of certain participants in the distribution chain, and this is a perfect example. Now others may disagree, but I don’t see a qualitative difference in these producers, and if I can buy Rancia, for example, at $35-40 a bottle, what would possess me to pay $15 a bottle more for a comparable wine? One reason why I have multiple vintages/vineyards of Felsina in the cellar.

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  • 2008 San Quirico Vernaccia di San Gimignano - Italy, Tuscany, San Gimignano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano (4/17/2010)
    This wine was a very pleasant surprise. I took it to a restaurant and everyone loved it. Very clear lemony flavor, and lemon on the bouquet as well. While it has the acidity of an Italian white, the lemon flavor is a little creamy, more like lemon gelato or lemon meringue pie. At any rate, very tasty with food. I think that the only other rating on CT for this wine must represent a bad bottle. (89 pts.)

  • 1997 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (4/17/2010)
    Popped and poured, this wine was surprisingly light and a bit thin. Nice ruby transparent color with a hint of brown. I think I remember drinking at least one other bottle of this which was richer and fruitier, which makes me think that it is hitting its decline. I got a clear rose petal note on the nose, but not everyone agreed with me. On the palate a nice sour cherry flavor, unmistakeably Italian. The acidity is a little annoying on the pasta and mushroom course, but as we move along to the meat course, the wine sweetens and the fruit expands with the better pairing. I wish I had opened this a couple of years earlier. (89 pts.)

  • 1997 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (4/17/2010)
    This wine appeared younger than the CastelGiocondo Brunello consumed with it, both 1997. Redder color, darker, less thin. In some ways the Vino Nobile was almost better – but there is a simplicity, just the sour cherry note and the acidity, not as much complexity. Like the Brunello it sweetened and opened when tasted with meat, it was simply a lot better with the correct pairing. And it was better the next day as well, with some black-currant character. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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1999 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino) -4/18/2010: excellent wine, slow ox’ed for about an hour. The nose was full of cherries and palate was graceful with a firm backbone with flavors beginning to integrate. Finish was medium to long and lasted a good 20-30 seconds. I do prefer the 98 Valdicava over the 99, but that could change in a few years as this wine will most likely benefit from another good 5 years of bottle age, but this wine is in a good place and will remain there for some time to come. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED A+

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Thanks guys, I’m glad your Brunello was younger and better than mine. Mine was odd, there was enough going on to make it enjoyable, but in a way it was an outline sketch of a very good wine, without the colors in the middle. I suppose that is why it blossomed with a taste of meat. I may have to pop another one some time this week, but what I have standing up now is a Super Tuscan.

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ME TOO !! Super Tuscan next up this week.

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Frank-I was disappointed by San Quiricco Vernaccia – the nose was fair, at best, plus the fruit was somewhat dried up and overly simple, showing faint floral notes, especially considering I was looking for a racier expression of fruit. I found Fontaleoni’s 2008 Vernaccia to be much more expressive, minerally and firm in its fresh fruit structure.

On another note, Le Chiuse’s 2007 Rosso di Montalcino was extremely impressive. A complex mouthful of dried black fruit, dried sage, scorched earth and still strutting its stuff days later! This was more a brooding, serious-toned Rosso, especially considering I tasted it side by side with the brightly lit Ciacci Piccolomini’s 2006 Rosso di Montalcino, which hit a somewhat opposite extreme. It showed greater bright red fruit than Le Chiuse. All good in the 'hood.

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We’re Tuscany bound this summer. I’ve never been a fan of Italian wines. The reading and links above are helpful. What will be more helpful… tasting Italian reds. [grin.gif]
I have a lot of studying (and drinking) to do.

What would you recommend I bring back from Italy? I know. Dan, taste as much as you can and bring back what you like. But that said, if I wanted to bring back wine for 5 years down the road, is there something I should be looking at? In other words, what wine will I want to bring to an O/L in 2015 - 2020? Should I purchase newer vintages, or should I seek out older ones?

Frank, Thank you. [worship.gif]

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2005 La Spinetta Il Colorino di Casanova Rosso Toscana IGT
Ken Vastola popped one of these a few weeks ago and piqued my curiosity. Subdued lightly sanded aged wood that didn’t trip my oak meter. Very dark cherry fruit tinged by a touch of leather and traces of minerality. Rich with hints of cassis. Food friendly acidity, chewy, rubbing tannins, and a pleasant but fairly subdued finish. There’s a certain linearity and simplicity indicative of a well made work-a-day wine. It’d be a very fine value at $15…for $25+, not as much.

RT

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Stephen, gotta be bottle variation, the Vernaccia I tasted was fun stuff, and I had other folks at the table who thought so as well. Certainly bottle variation isn’t unusual with Italian wines.

Dan, what with restrictions on carrying liquids, and the fact that so MANY of the well known Tuscans are available pretty easily here, I have to tell you that what comes to mind is a wine that I am a little obsessed about, the Avignonesi Vin Santo. Prices are high here and availability is low. Of course you will mainly want to seek this out if you are the sort of person who loves Sauternes, it is quite sweet.

Otherwise – in recent years I haven’t bought that many Tuscan reds, my collection is gently ageing and that’s one reason I wanted to have this tasting, see how they are doing. So I can’t figure what to tell you to buy, sorry. Frankly my mind wanders to Barolo and Amarone when I think of what I would want to carry back from Italy.

Richard – Ken owned a bottle of Tuscan wine? I’m a little surprised. [whistle.gif]

Thanks for the notes and discussion guys.

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Frank, I don’t think Ken dislikes Tuscan wines - he just has a strong disdain for Brunello, aka “overpriced chianti” in Vastola-speak.