ITALY:  TOSCANA

If you ask most people to name a wine from Italy, they'll probably come up with "Chianti".    It's the quintessential Tuscan wine, to be sure, though, in terms of price and prestige, denominazione such as "Brunello di Montalcino", "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano" along with a category of proprietary wines, "Super Tuscans" (as they're called) far exceed the humble Chianti.

Chianti is, typically, a blended red wine.  The "Chianti" region covers territory in the Provinces of Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia and Pisa.  The predominant grape is the Sangiovese.   Other varieties play a minor role, the laws governing the production of Chianti having changed over the last decade or so. Originally, the laws called for Chianti to be a blend of Sangiovese, with another red variety called Canaiolo, along with Malvasia and Trebbiano (white grapes!) and perhaps some Malvasia Nera,  Colorino or Mammolo. 

Bound by tradition, it's only in the past thirty to forty years that we've seen real advances in the overall quality of red wines from Tuscany.   

Some producers thumbed their noses at the law.  "Let them come here, see my Trebbiano vines, taste my wine and tell me I'm doing something wrong," we were told by one winery owner many years ago.  This producer did not, of course, water down the Chianti with Trebbiano as had been required by law at one point.

In the "old days", some estates would grow or purchase Cabernet or Merlot and include this in their Chianti wine.  We had visited some producers and, after tasting, were not entirely certain the wines come from vineyards near the winery.  The name of Chianti and the chance to cash in with Super-Tuscan type wines was an enticing opportunity for some as vintners.

The law  finally changed and producers are allowed a certain amount of flexibility in producing their wines.  Today a Chianti might be 100% Sangiovese.  While the law used to require Trebbiano and Malvasia at a minimum of 10%, today those are no longer permitted in Chianti Classico wines.  The laws changed in 2006, though quality-oriented producers eschewed watering down their wines years earlier.


But while the laws are wonderfully written in Italy, following them is something different altogether...right, Carlo?

The "traditional" red grapes, though, would be Canaiolo, Mammolo, Colorino, Ciliegiolo, Fogliatonda, Pugnitello and Malvasia Nera.


We've heard allegations of shenanigans on the part of some producers.  And Italy does seem to have a wine scandal ongoing at all times.  It seems to be either a local sport or perhaps "theater."

We've heard about wine being shipped in bulk from Argentina to Spain and from Spain over to Tuscany where it suddenly takes on Italian "citizenship."  We've heard of wines from Sicilia, Puglia or Sardegna being used to "fortify" Tuscan wines (and other Northern reds, for that matter)...

There was a Tuscan producer whom we felt "counterfeited" his own wine!  He had a lovely Chianti and he used the same label for some wine we're certain was from elsewhere which he sold to a US chain store at a much lower price.  We purchased a bottle of the wine he sold to the chain store and compared it to the ones coming from a small importer...totally different wines!  The wine from the small importer was clearly "Chianti Classico," while the wine from the chain store was reminiscent of a simple and anonymous red table wine which could have come from factory-like wineries anywhere in the world...who knows what they put in there?

Many estates these days now make a "prestigious" bottling of some sort.  Sometimes it's from an old parcel of vines or it may be from their best vineyard site...a "reserve" quality wine.  This is all well and good, except that often times in doing so, a vintners "robs" their flagship wine of its foundation.  What a pity to make a tiny quantity of something at the expense of the wine for which the estate might have been famous.  

=SANGIOVESE= The predominant grape of Chianti, Sangiovese,  is influenced by the climate and terrain in which it is grown.  Sandier soils are said to cause the wines to be more floral in aroma.  Limestone terrain makes for a wine with a more intensely berryish quality.   Volcanic soils (tufo) are said to contribute an almost tobacco-like quality to Sangiovese. 

=GOVERNO=     This is an old method, not as common today as decades ago, where the winemaker would add some dried grapes (usually the variety was the Colorino) to the fermented or partially fermented Chianti.  This would add some strength to the Chianti.  It reminds me of the "ripasso" process used by producers of Amarone and Valpolicella in the Veneto.  I've read that Ruffino still employs the governo process, but can't confirm this at this moment.  Castellare, Melini and Cecchi have had wines recently made using this technique.

=CHIANTI REGIONS=  You'll find wine labeled simply "Chianti", the most general designation, is often used for wines of modest alcohol or meant for immediate consumption.  It also might be used for Chianti made from grapes grown in two (or more) sub-zones.

Wines from a specific area, located between Florence and Siena, is entitled to the designation "Chianti Classico" if the wines meet certain standards.  There's a consortium which promotes the "Classico" wines, quite effectively.  

The "rest" of Chianti includes

There's another designation, just to keep you on your toes:
Chianti Superiore.  This is not produced within the Chianti Classico zone.  It will come from  Chianti vineyards within the provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena.
If the wine is labeled as "Chianti Superiore," you will not find its particular denominazione, such as "Colli Senesi" or "Rufina," for example.  

For a Chianti Superiore, the wine must be at least 75% Sangiovese and have no more than 10% Canaiolo.  It may have as much as 10% white grapes (Trebbiano Toscano and/or Malvasia del Chianti).  There's also an allowance of 20% "other" varieties, with a limitation of 15% for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (either one or both are capped at 15%).

If the wine carries simply the name "Chianti" without the designation of "Superiore" or one of those sub-regions listed above, then it must be 70% to 100% Sangiovese.  You can have up to 10% of white grapes, typically Trebbiano and/or Malvasia.  You can include up to 15% of Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc.  This wine can be sold rather soon after the harvest.

In fact, only three of these non-Classico wines must be aged until September 1 following the vintage.  Those include Chianti Fiorentini, Chianti Rufina and Chianti Superiore.  All the other non-Classico bottlings can be sold on March 1st following the vintage.

=THE BLACK ROOSTER= The Consorzio of Chianti Classico, with an historic black rooster symbol (called the Gallo Nero) has been effective in promoting the wines of its members.  However, not all the estates in the region continue membership with this group.  
At one time, Chianti Classico wines from Antinori, Ruffino, Isole e Olena and Monsanto (to name 4 prominent wineries) did not have the black rooster symbol on their bottles.  Today, though, you'll find the symbol on Chianti Classico wines, even if some estates begrudgingly use these labels.

This consorzio was sued, incidentally, by the Gallo Winery and lost the right to use the words "Gallo Nero" in publicizing the organization and its wines! 

Some Tuscan Wineries We Like:

PIANCORNELLO

This is a relatively new estate, founded in 1990 by Silvana Pieri.  The property comprises just 10 hectares of vineyards and they're only making about 20,000 bottles annually.  

The first wines we've tasted have been marvelous.  Now, years later, the wines continue to be well-made and reliably good.  

Our first contact was with an amazingly good 2002 Rosso di Montalcino.  The 2002 vintage was  a disaster from a wine-growing perspective.  Obviously, they declassified their Brunello to produce this wine, though a small amount of the heavy-hitter was made in this difficult vintage.  

We view most "Rosso di Montalcino" wines as anything but "baby" Brunello and few are, frankly, as interesting as really good Chianti wine.  Piancornello, on the other hand, makes a dynamite Rosso di Montalcino and it's not baby Brunello but it is as good as really fine Chianti Classico wine.    The 2018 is quite good and it's really nice to see a customer buy a bottle one day and return soon afterwards for more bottles.  The wine shows a faintly woodsy character along with good cherryish Sangiovese.

Their 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is very attractive and drinkable in its youth, though likely to develop additional complexity with a few more years in the bottle.
There's a mildly woodsy note and the tannins are not coarse or aggressive, but provide a measure of structure.  Open this an hour or two before dinner and let is get some air in a decanter.
The 2016 Brunello arrived in the Spring of 2021...quite good!

We skipped the 2014 vintage, though their wine was perfectly decent...just a shade less "noble," in our view, for the Brunello designation.

And there are some bottles of Claudio's 2013 Riserva...very fine!  It's a bit more profound than the normal bottling of Brunello and add to that a bit more bottle age.  This is showing marvelously now and can probably last another decade, if you have that much patience.

 

Claudio Monaci in his cellar in 2005...

 

 

 

Currently in stock:  
2015 PIANCORNELLO Brunello di Montalcino  SALE $54..99
2018 PIANCORNELLO Rosso di Montalcino Sale $24.99
2013 PIANCORNELLO Brunello di Montalcino Riserva  $83.99

Claudio's Dad, Claudio and Claudio's Zia (aunt)...

In the cellar...Piancornello is matured both in large cooperage and small French oak.


A bottle of 2004 Brunello was handsomely paired with roasted rabbit and Tuscan white beans.

 

FATTORIA DI FELSINA

This property is, without a doubt, one of the top Tuscan wineries.  Managed by Giuseppe Mazzocolin, Felsina's wines have been amongst the top Chianti wines for more than a decade.  Not only is their Chianti Classico a top wine, but the special "riserva" called "Rancia" is outstanding.  As if this weren't enough, Mazzocolin makes a Super-Tuscan, but this is not "tainted" with Cabernet or Merlot.  

 

The estate comprises about 122 hectares of vines and they make about 450,000 bottles annually.  Sangiovese is the focus here, though they do make Cabernet and Pinot Nero along with a simple Tuscan white and some Vin Santo.  

I was pleasantly surprised when we visited the estate...the dedication to "Chianti" and "Sangiovese" is remarkable.  You might think this is not unusual, but when so many estates are hell-bent to get high scores from wine writers who measure "size" and power above everything else, finding pure Sangiovese is a delight.

 
In the cellars at Felsina...very traditional!

Lots of Tuscan vintners use this 'system' to keep their barrels and botte filled to the top with wine.

More modern conditions are found in their cellar full of barriques.

 

The basic Chianti Classico from Felsina is routinely a good bottle of wine.  It's entirely Sangiovese and offers the snappy structure of good Sangiovese.  It's a medium-bodied wine...not heavy or woody.  2018 is the current release...a mighty good vintage, drinkable now and we suspect it will develop a bit more over the next couple of years in bottle...very fine and showing good Sangiovese fruit.

They have a couple of reserve-level Chianti wines.  The basic Riserva is entirely Sangiovese and spends more than a year in Slavonian oak and French oak barriques.  The "Cru Rancia" Riserva is also 100% Sangiovese, but this seems to have some of the same elements as the regular Reserva, but with the 'volume' cranked up all the way, typically.

Fontalloro is a magnificent Sangiovese which truly deserves the designation "Super Tuscan."  It is, for our tastes, routinely "super."  The wine comes from three vineyard sites.  One is, in fact, called Fontalloro and it lies within the Chianti Classico area.  The other two sites, Casalino and Arcidossino, are situated within the Chianti Colli Senesi denominazione.  The wine is 100% Sangiovese and is matured, typically, for about a year and a half in French oak.  Yet they seem to have a fine hand in making this wine, since the oak is always detectable, but it's not center stage.  The star of the show is definitely the Sangiovese.  We currently have a few bottles of a 20+ year old Fontalloro.

Maestro Raro is a wine made of Cabernet Sauvignon.

We've usually been a bit critical of Tuscan vintners who are suddenly embracing international varieties, especially when this is at the expense of their own local grapes.  
Sure, Sassicaia used to be a grand wine...Ornellaia IS a terrific, if expensive bottle.  Does the world need more Cabernet and/or Merlot?  

I had not tasted the Felsina Cabernet in a while and on a whim I bought a bottle of the 2006.  
I may have to rethink my position on this.

Felsina's Cabernet Sauvignon production began when they grafted Cabernet on to existing vines of Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Malvasia.  The wine spends about a year and a half in oak and the 2006 was phenomenal.  It is medium-full bodied on the palate, has a fantastic nose and is beautifully drinkable now with food.

More recent vintages have been in the category of "good," but not quite as compelling as the 2006.  Oh well.  Stay tuned.

We recently opened a library bottle of 1999 Fontalloro...what a grand bottle this was!
The nose was very complex and showing some earthy notes, maybe a touch of mushroom and some black cherry fruit.  There was a nicely woodsy tone, too.  Medium-bodied...still a little bit of astringency, too.

Very fine!

The Vin Santo is matured in a special cellar.  The barrels are sealed following the fermentation until close to bottling.

Vin Santo is exceptional.  It's Malvasia and Trebbiano with 20% Sangiovese...aged for something like seven years, this shows nutty and apricot-like notes.  It's sweet, but not sticky...very fine.

Currently available:  2018 Chianti Classico $26.99 (750ml)
2018 Chianti Classico $14.99 (375ml)
2016 Chianti Classico Riserva SALE  $29.99 (last bottles)

2006 Maestro Raro (Cabernet Sauvignon) List $55  Sold Out
VIN SANTO  Sale $39.99 (375ml)

TENUTA DI GRACCIANO della Seta

North of the city of Montepulciano is a town called Gracciano and it's said to be a prime site for the Prugnolo Gentile grape.  Of course, every vineyard owner will tell you the sun shines brightest on their little slice of heaven.

This winery was originally the Cantine Svetoni and they catapulted to fame and fortune in the 1860s when their wine garnered a medal at some international wine judging in Torino.  At the very least, it put the place on the map.

The della Seta Ferrari Corbelli family bought the property in the early 1900s and they continue to make wine and rent a room or two at their agriturismo in Gracciano.

We've tasted their wines over the years...and these are usually of modest interest.

Recently we had a look at their new vintages and can say there's been a measure of improvement.  

The Rosso di Montepulciano is perhaps the star of the line-up.  We found the Vino Nobile to be perfectly standard and the Riserva bottling, while having nice oak, also was a bit troubled by some Brettanomyces (this is wine-speak for having some aromas along the lines of a leather note).  The Rosso, however, spends less than a year in wood (French cooperage and Slavonian oak).  It's quite charming and brightly cherryish, with the Sangiovese showing nicely here.  The wine is medium-light bodied and dry...perfectly ready to drink and quite satisfying with a Bolognese-sauced pasta or some grilled sausages.

Currently in stock:  2015 TENUTA DI GRACCIANO Rosso di Montepulciano  SALE $15.99

 

 

Paolo De Marchi, "Mister Chianti" in 2019

ISOLE E OLENA

Paolo de Marchi is "Mister Chianti", a dedicated winemaker who is passionate about making honest-to-goodness "Chianti".  The property is in the northern part of the "Classico" zone and "Isole" is a good name for this isolated vineyard.  They used to sell the production in bulk, but today, for the most part, bottle their estate grown wines.  

Isole e Olena is typically on every expert's list of elite Chianti Classico producers.  It's become a bit of a reference point and the wines are reliably good quality and well-priced in the US market.  We usually find them to be a bit more costly on their home turf in Italy, though.


Chianti Classico is outstanding and usually highly regarded, especially by those who appreciate Chianti.  De Marchi does not make a "Riserva", for example, but has long offered a wine called "Cepparello", a Super-Tuscan made entirely of Sangiovese and matured in French oak. 

With the recent addition of special appellation status, Paolo has added a Gran Selezione bottling to his portfolio.  The wine is rather expensive as Paolo is making a statement with this wine.  

Paolo also produces a Cabernet, Chardonnay and Syrah of note.  Our understanding of the white wine production is that he had purchased Cabernet vines from a nursery.  After some years, the vines produced some fruit, but the grapes maintained their greenish color well into August.  Paolo became concerned that there was something wrong and, after some investigation, found there had been an error in the shipment and his "Cabernet" vines were, in fact, Chardonnay! 

 

Wood or stainless steel for the fermentation...

Isole e Olena produces an excellent Vin Santo and this fellow was checking the clarity of the wine they were racking and preparing for bottling.

As you can see, they employ both small oak barriques and larger wood tanks for maturing the wines.

 

Wine which was to become "Chianti Classico" with the proper aging.

Prepared for a tasting of numerous tanks and barrels to evaluate the progression of the wines currently resting in the cellar.

The Chianti Classico wines from Isole have routinely been good, though we felt there was a slight dip in quality around 2004-2006, or so.

The past so-many vintages have been quite good.
We currently have the 2017.
It's roughly 80% Sangiovese with 15% Canaiolo.  Paolo de Marchi's wild-card is Syrah and he blends in about 5% to give the wine a bit of body and color.
If you taste this alongside the wines that other estates produce using Cabernet or Merlot, you'll find it decidedly different.
The 2017 vintage was difficult in that there was significant frost damage early in the growing season which damaged the resulting yield by about 40%.
Paolo did his usual masterful job in making a delightful Chianti...lots of red fruit notes and just a whiff of wood in the background.
You can easily enjoy this as a young wine.

 

 

 

Cepparello comes from some older vines on the Isole e Olena property and is a special selection.  French oak aged.  A few bottles of 2010 and 2011 are in stock for the moment.  This is a super wine and it's a stellar example of a Super Tuscan which is worthy of the designation, especially the 2006.

Syrah is highly-regarded in Italy and for good reason:  the wine is comparable to good Rhône Valley wines.  Not many bottles of this arrive in California.  We don't have one presently, though.

Vin Santo is exceptional here.  It is quite sweet, because they actually pay attention to drying the grapes and pressing out the juice at just the right moment.   It is not inexpensive, but compared to other top producers, quite fairly priced.

Currently available:  2017 Chianti Classico (list $30) SALE $24.99 (750ml)
2017 Chianti Classico Magnum  Sale $54.99 (1.5 liter)
2018 Chianti Classico half bottles  $17.99 (375ml)
We may have some older bottles of Cepparello.  Please inquire.
2014 Cepparello $84.99
Vin Santo (half bottles) List $60  SALE  $51.99 

 

 

Marta and Paolo in 2019

Some old, crusty bottles in the deep, dark cellar.

SASSOTONDO

We've tasted the red wines from this obscure little property in Tuscany for a number of years and have long wanted to visit to see if it's a serious producer of good wines or if it's some big industrial wine factory.

The owners are Carla Benini and Edoardo Ventimiglia.  She's from Trento and he's from Rome.  Her background was in agriculture and his in film (his grandpa worked as a camera-man for famous film-maker Alfredo Hitchcock).  

They found this abandoned property in 1990 and began restoring the fixer-upper house and the fixer-upper land, planting vineyards of Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano and Greco.

Today there are 10 hectares of vineyards scattered around the winery amongst the 72 hectares which comprise the property.  You're virtually in the middle of nowhere, but you're just three kilometers (by foot) from the town of Sovana and 5 from Pitigliano.  You're 2 and a half hours' drive from Florence, 2 hours from Siena and an hour and a half south of Montalcino.

The volcanic sandstone terroir of the region puts its mark on the wines.  And while Sangiovese does nicely here, the Ciliegiolo grape is even more at home in this remote Tuscan outpost.

Ciliegiolo?

The name translates to "cherry" and wines made from this variety do have a cherry-like quality to them.  Sangiovese, however, also is often described as showing a cherry note.  The scientific community is at odds here, some claiming Ciliegiolo is a parent or elder relative to Sangiovese, while others say Sangiovese is likely the parent, with Ciliegiolo being some sort of offspring.  

The 1997 harvest was the couple's first vintage and they've been slowly increasing production and the wines have been good from the outset and you can say, I think, they're even getting better.

 

 

 

The winery is dug into the sandstone hill...you enter and see these stainless steel fermentation and blending tanks and there's a long tunnel leading to another cool, more humid cellar well underground.

 

 

I really should ask people to pose for a photo, shouldn't I?

 

 

 

The Official Winery Dog:

A bottle of Tuforosso served at cool cellar temperature is a perfect match for this sort of food, as
Carla and Eduardo so capably demonstrated.

 

We have the 2017 Tuforosso in stock.  

The wine used to be predominantly Sangiovese with a bit of Ciliegiolo.
These days Carla has changed the blend, and while based on Sangiovese, these day now we find 10% Merlot and 20% of the Trentino grape, Teroldego.
It's not a complicated wine and it's no matured in oak...only stainless steel tanks for a bit and then they bottle it in the Spring so the wine retains its bright, red fruit elements.
Not intended for cellaring, it's vinified to be drinkable in its youth.
We like it at cool cellar temperature.
It's delicious and price-worthy, making it one of the best Italian buys in the shop.

Currently in stock:  2017 TUFOROSSO  SALE PRICE $12.99  (Sold Out Presently...waiting for the boat to arrive!)

 

One of the official Winery Cats.

TORRE A CONA

This estate is perhaps the benchmark winery in the Colli Fiorentini appellation, producing a terrific Chianti from a single vineyard site called Badia a Corte.

 

The property traces its roots back to the year 1066 and they note that the tower of the estate was built in the 12th Century and is still standing.  It's been owned by the Rossi di Montelera family since 1935.  During World War II the place was occupied by the Germans until the summer of 1944 when the British took control of the place.  

In fact, some treasured art by Michelangelo and Donatello were taken to the property during that war for safe-keeping and it's claimed the place was not bombed as a result.  These days the property features about 20 hectares of vineyards spread across more than a half a dozen parcels.  In addition to the grapes, they have olive orchards and a couple of dozen rooms for guests.  It's a short drive to Florence from this property.

Their "reserve" bottling of Chianti Colli Fiorentini is made entirely of Sangiovese from the oldest vines on the estate.  Their consulting enologist is our friend Beppe Caviola from Piemonte.  He works with an impressive roster of wineries in addition to making his own (Barolo and Dolcetto) wines in the Langhe area.

The Sangiovese is fermented in stainless steel tanks, temperature controlled, of course.  The juice spends about two weeks with skin contact and the wine is then matured in 660 gallon Slavonian oak vats.  Two years in wood nicely polishes this wine and smoothes out the modest tannins.  It's a lovely bottle of wine...we've had a couple of vintages (so far).

Currently in stock:  2016 TORRE A CONA Chianti Colli Fiorentini "Badia a Corte"  Sale $24.99  

 

 

ANTINORI

The Antinori family have a number of wineries in Italy, not to mention concerns in other parts of the world.  Buying a bottle of Antinori wine is rather like purchasing a Robert Mondavi wine--even if the wine is not extraordinary, it is, at the very least, a well-made product and of sound quality.  

 

 

The Antinori family is probably not proud of having offered wine with their name on it in a "fish" bottle. 
No...we do not have this available for sale.
Don't even ask.

 

The Antinori's have discontinued their basic "Chianti Classico," feeling that the name Antinori is, apparently, more of a guarantee of quality than the designation "Chianti Classico."  This will be interesting!  

 Will Antinori customers continue to buy Antinori or will they migrate to other Chianti Classico producers?  Tuscan wine industry people are watching this development with great interest.  

Many contend that Antinori is unwilling to pay the price for good quality Sangiovese in the Chianti Classico zone.  Antinori was quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle article as saying the quality of fruit available on the grape market is not especially good.  

(We heard recently that their contract with a good grower had expired recently and this precipitated the Antinori's decision to make this change).  Time will tell on this issue, but it is a bit sad to see the names Antinori and Chianti Classico not as married as they once were!

We tasted first vintages of their Chianti-replacement and found it to be as good as Antinori's recent Chianti Classico vintages.  This is not a bad wine, but it's not Sangiovese at its zenith, either.  That may be due to all the other grape varieties included in the blend.   It's usually got 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah.  The current vintage is pretty much the same sort of wine as earlier renditions...a nice "international" red.



"Solaia" is the Antinori's version of their cousin's "Sassicaia", a Cabernet-based red which in some vintages rivals the best of Bordeaux and California. The wine has been of superlative quality for many years.  In December of 2000 an influential American wine publication tabbed Solaia as its top wine (most "exciting" wine, actually).   This is good news for the Antinori family, but bad news for wine drinkers.   After that,  everybody and his cousin (not to mention the Aunt and Uncle) wants Solaia.   Prices have doubled as those who actually have some bottles ask a fortune for this newly-minted "gold coin."    What used to be merely hard-to-get is now some sort of ultra status symbol, as well as being a "mere" bottle of wine.  

 

There was an interesting publication in Europe called "Il Mio Vino."  I've seen it in Italian (of course) and in German.  Each issue features the "debunking" of a high-priced, highly-regarded wine.  One issue I picked up in the Spring of 2007 chose to spotlight Solaia 2003 in their "Grande Delusione" series.  My command of Italian is not perfect, but I found I agreed with many of their descriptions of the wine (lots of vanilla, oak, moderately tannic...) but those adjectives are why I like the wine.  At the end of their article, they claimed to have tasted Solaia alongside an inexpensive bottle of Bordeaux, one costing less than 10% the price of a bottle of Antinori's wine.  They claimed the Bordeaux was better.

*************

Vin Santo is also quite good here.  

Though not a Tuscan wine, but from neighboring Umbria, we wish to point out their "Cervaro della Sala", a barrel-fermented blend of Chardonnay and Grechetto which is one of the best Italian white wines. It is one of the very first Italian white wines to see French oak and they typically employ a secondary, malolactic fermentation.  It's a very showy dry white, full-bodied and full-throttle.
We like showing it to fans of big California Chardonnays as the wine easily gets their attention and frequently gets a nod of approval.

 Experiments with Pinot Noir have yet to hit the mark, but their Umbrian dessert wine called Muffato is outstanding.

Never say Piero Antinori is late for the train.  He's one of the few Chianti producers to also have a property in Montalcino called "Pian delle Vigne."  A recent acquisition, this is situated nearly four miles south of Montalcino.  And there is a small train station on the property!  The first vintage was the fine 1995.  Medium-bodied, Bob found this to be quite to his taste.   I think it's a pretty good start, but will venture to guess succeeding vintages will be even better as the Antinori winemakers become more familiar with the viticulture and winemaking in this region.  The 1998 vintage is quite nice, one I'd put in the same "very good" category as previous vintages.  You can drink it now, if you like, and it ought to cellar well for a few more years.  The 2001 is their current offering.  I find it acceptable, but not as fine as other Brunello wines we have from 2001.  We can special order this for you, if you like.

Pèppoli is an estate which Antinori acquired in 1985.  It's in the Chianti Classico area with vineyards facing east-northeast.   Pèppoli is made in a more fruity style than the Riserva or Tenute Marchese Antinori Chiantis.  This may be the best vintage of Pèppoli  to date...pretty nice, actually.  They add a bit of Merlot and Syrah to the Sangiovese and it's not made to be aged, but to be consumed when purchased.

Currently available: 

2016 Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso (Chianti Replacement) List $25 SALE $19.99
 
2004 Passignano Riserva Sale $42.99

2016 Tignanello 750ml SALE $129.99

Vin Santo (list $35) SALE $33.99  (500ml)
Aleatico (sweet dessert wine) No Longer being imported...


2018 CERVARO della SALA (Chardonnay/Grechetto blend from Umbria) (List $65)  
SALE $55.99

 

A vineyard site Antinori was to plant...
The piles of rocks will be scattered throughout the vineyard allowing for reflective heat for the vines, fewer weeds and they can show visitors what a wonderfully rocky "terroir" they have.
I will post an "after" photo when I next visit Toscana.

                   

 

UCCELLIERA

The story of this little property starts in the mid-1980s when, after working for Mastrojanni and Ciacci Piccolomini, Andrea Cortonesi was able to buy a couple of hectares of vineyards in the area of Castelnuovo dell'Abate.

Cortonesi now has 4 hectares of his own and rents two more.  The winery is fairly new and additional construction was in progress as we visited in May of 2010, but we see them nearly annually (except for the Pandemic in 2020 and 2021).

 

We've been fans for many years as this fellow produces good wines with a modern touch, yet showing respect for the Sangiovese or Brunello.  We even had a 2002 Brunello, which Cortonesi sold for 'small money' and yet it was a remarkably good wine and customers were happy.

The wines have been getting good reviews from various critical publications and this has increased the demand for the small production.  :(

Brunello is vinified in stainless steel tanks and then matured in both large botti and barriques.   Cortonesi prefers to do a cold soak or pre-fermentation maceration, saying this retains more bright fruit on the nose and contributes a measure of intensity to the color.  He likes to keep SO2 levels low and indigenous yeasts are used.  

 

We appreciate this fellow's approach to wine.  He's serious about attention to detail in the vineyards and the cellar seems to be a place to validate the vineyard work.  

 

We currently have a 2013 Brunello di Montalcino from Uccelliera...we like the charm of the wine, as it is quite approachable now and it will continue to develop and gain complexity with bottle aging.  The wine offers a dark cherry fruit tone of Sangiovese and there's a light touch of wood framing it.  

There's a good Rosso di Montalcino here, though we're bigger fans of the IGT wine called Rapace, a Sangiovese fortified with Cabernet and Merlot.  

 

 

 

Currently in stock:  2015 UCCELLIERA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO  Sale $79.99

 

LA GERLA

This small estate in Montalcino has periodically made some pretty nice Sangiovese wines.  The vineyards had been owned, apparently, by Biondi-Santi. Perhaps the Biondi-Santi people didn't like the fruit from this vineyard because the wines one can make here ARE drinkable during one's lifetime (Biondi-Santi wines are of such high acidity, they are difficult to appreciate in their youth and, sometimes, even for a generation or two or three after!).   

Sergio Rossi had been working in the advertising business before trading his briefcase for a wine barrel.  The estate was purchased in 1976 and the cellar is in the Canalicchio area...northern Montalcino.  But they get fruit from Mercatale and Castelnuovo dell'Abate.

 

Vittorio Fiore is the consulting winemaker.  He's been on board since the beginning.  The wines seem to be made without catering to current fashions and a healthy respect for tradition.  You'll rarely find La Gerla at the top of some wine critic's numerically-scored list of Brunello wines, though they're well on the radar of most Tuscan wine drinkers.  They don't make show-pieces.  Still, they are well-regarded if you're a slave to following numerical point scores.  We, frankly, don't care, preferring to identify wines we like and like well enough to recommend.


The cellar features large wood as well as small French oak.  Typically the Brunello spends three years in large Slavonian oak.  There's a single vineyard bottling of Brunello called "Vigna gli Angeli" as well as a Rosso di Montalcino and an IGT wine.

 

A favorite wine from La Gerla has been a French oak-aged proprietary red they called "Birba."  The Italian word for "scoundrel" is "Birba," so I suppose this is Rossi's little joke, though he's certainly neither a scoundrel nor a scallywag.  The wine is entirely Sangiovese from vineyards which could produce "Brunello di Montalcino."  Birba is matured for a shorter period of time and in smaller cooperage, a portion of which is new.  The small size of cooperage means the wine develops more quickly.   
We have had this from time to time...some vintages are quite good.

The 2013 Brunello is very fine, as was the 2012.  I found typically cherry notes of Sangiovese on the nose, deeper than Chianti, for example.
It was made from 25 year old vineyards.  They ferment it on the skins for about two weeks and then it went into wood puncheons of 50 to 100 hectoliters.
It spent about 3 years in various sized cooperage and then was bottled and given additional aging before release.

The wine is medium-full on the palate and with a mouth-drying bit of tannin at this early stage.  It is certainly a wine you might open now, though it's really going to be more interesting with a few years of cellaring.  I read one review of this vintage where the wine was described using the descriptor "milk chocolate."

That's not the wine I've tasted...this is meant for adult palates.  We like the mildly cedary notes from the time in wood and there's a bit of cherry-like Sangiovese fruit.  The tannin level is moderate, so this is quite approachable now and will be good for another 10 year+ we expect.

 

 

 

 

Currently in stock: 
2013 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO  Sold Out
2012 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO Sold Out

The estate's manager, Alberto Passeri.

Alberto Passeri in 2019

With a bottle of "Rosso di Brunello" as it was called in the late 1970s

 

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