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 ten or twenty 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.    Other estates would purchase Cabernet or Merlot and include this in their Chianti wine.  We've visited some producers and, after tasting, are 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 is, apparently, an enticing opportunity for some.

The law has 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 there's a maximum of 6% of these varieties.  Starting with the 2006 vintage, no white grapes will be allowed as part of a Chianti Classico wine.  There's also a 15% maximum of "other" varieties allowed and some estates use Syrah, Cabernet or Merlot to make their particular Chianti blend.  A traditional red grape of Chianti, the Canaiolo, is now limited to a 10% maximum.

=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.

=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.  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 Montalbano (west of Florence and including the DOC of "Carmignano"), Colli Fiorentini (just north of the Classico zone around Florence), Colli Senesi (a fragmented region near Siena and environs) , Colli Aretini (near Arezzo), Colline Pisane (Pisa area), Colline Pistoiesi (near Pistoia, west of Florence, east of Lucca), and Rufina (a bit north and east of Florence).

=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.  As a result, some very fine producers, Antinori, Ruffino, Isole e Olena and Monsanto (to name 4 prominent wineries), no longer have the "black rooster" stickers on their bottles of Chianti.   

This consorzio was sued, incidentally, by the Gallo Winery and lost the right to use the words "Gallo Nero" in publicizing their 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.  

We had an amazingly good 2002 Rosso di Montalcino.  Obviously, they declassified their Brunello to produce this wine, though a small amount of the heavy-hitter was made in this difficult vintage.  

Their Brunello wines are excellent.  We have the 1998 and 1999 vintages in stock.  The 1998 is pretty much ready-to-drink.  There's a woodsy, tobacco, cigar-box element to this vintage.  Nicely developed, this is very fine now.   The 1999 Brunello is perhaps the more outstanding wine for the long haul, though if you give it an hour or two in the decanter tonight, you'll certainly find a very fine wine.  The 1999 will probably reach its peak in 5-8 years.  More dark fruit notes to the 1999 than in the 1998.

The 2001 Riserva is currently in the shop.  This was excellent when we first tasted it and even more impressive now that it's had a bit of bottle aging.  The wine shows the cedary, woodsy notes we associate with Piancornello.  The fruit is deep and bright...nicely cherryish with some dark fruit elements, too.  I find the wine quite drinkable now, though it will certainly cellar handsomely for another decade (well-stored).

I tasted their 2003 and was pleasantly surprised.  While many wines from this hot vintage as bland and unfocused, the Piancornello captured the house style, showing marvelous berry fruit and a lovely cedary tone.  Very fine!  It's not yet arrived in our market, but I tasted it in Italy in April of 2008.  

Claudio Monaci in his cellar.

 

 

 

Currently in stock:  
2001 PIANCORNELLO Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $84.99

VECCHIE TERRE di MONTEFILI

This little estate is located about a ten minute drive west of Greve in Chianti.  It's a bit isolated, but the property is beautiful and it seems to be ideally situated for producing great Chianti.

I visited here many years ago, traveling with a California winemaker who was interested in learning more about Italian varietals.  The wines of Vecchie Terre di Montefili were well-regarded, but production was very small at the time and the wines were much sought-after.  We tasted good wines, but had no chance to buy these since they were rather fashionable.

Now I'm amused that so many years later the estate is still making some excellent wines and, now that the novelty has worn off,  this terrific Chianti is available at a very attractive price.

The property goes back hundreds of years and it was, back around 1200, part of the Badia di Passignano (a label owned today by the Antinori family).  Montefili is today owned by the Acuti family, who purchased the estate in 1979.   Their home was in Prato and I suspect this was to be the weekend "get-away" retreat.  Instead, it's turned into a modest-sized business with a world-wide reputation!

They have about 13.5 hectares of vines and make something close to 65,000 bottles annually.  Winemaker Tommaso Paglione (he's the husband of Maria Acuti) says they're working towards biodynamic farming.

Critics tend to be wowed by their proprietary wine called Bruno di Rocca, a Cabernet blended with Sangiovese.  It's usually a rather handsome wine.  Anfiteatro is a French oak-aged wine of Sangiovese.  They make a curious white, blending Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc and a small percentage of Gewürztraminer.  

But we love Toscana for its Chianti wines and this is a good one!  It's entirely Sangiovese with NO Cabernet Sauvignon and NO Merlot.  ((I periodically say to producers from Tuscany who blend Bordeaux varieties into their Chianti, "You know, I've never heard from a Bordeaux vintner "We blend a small amount of Sangiovese into our Pauillac..."))  

The 2004 Vecchie Terre di Montefili Chianti Classico is just that, "classic."  If you're a fan of typically-Italian wines, please put a bottle of this on your dinner table soon!  It's offered at a great price and it's a wonderful cherryish, snappy version of Chianti.  The wine is medium-bodied and nicely balanced for immediate drinking, yet we think it has 5 to 8 years of good cellaring potential.  Pair it with grilled or roasted meats, if you like, or a savory roasted chicken.  Impressive!

Currently in stock:  2004 VECCHIE TERRE di MONTEFILI $19.99

Tommaso Paglione shows off their fermentation cellar.


The large Slavonian oak cask in the background is used to mature the Chianti Classico.


The old label and today's design.


Maria Acuti and Tommaso Paglione

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.  

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.  It's got a bit more wood and shows more brown spice notes.  There's also a mildly floral aspect to the Sangiovese.  The 2004 is delicious now and I suspect it will mature nicely for another 5 to 8 years.

Currently available:  2004 Chianti Classico Riserva $26.99
2004 Chianti Classico Riserva "Rancia" $39.99
1997 Fontalloro $65.99 (last bottle)
2005 Chianti Classico $19.99

 

 

VIGLIANO

We don't get too excited by so-called "Super Tuscan" wines since most of them are merely an effort to extract a large sum of cash from someone's wallet.  But we tasted a wine from the Vigliano estate which was not only attractive in the glass, but its price tag was commensurate with its quality.

Vigliano is a little 'town', if you want to call it that, a short drive from Firenze.  It's just a bit south-west from the big city and here you'll find maybe a dozen homes and some rolling hillsides carpeted with vines.

The Marchionni family has owned the "Vigliano" property since 1978, cultivating about 6 hectares of vineyards.  Their L'Erta wine is remarkably good...a blend of Sangiovese Grosso, the clone used typically in Montalcino, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  You can actually sense both grapes in this wine, rather than simply having Cabernet dominate.  It's matured in some nice oak, too, so there's a woodsy, cedary undertone to the wine.

L'Erta is delightful now and I suspect this will actually cellar handsomely for a number of years, maybe 3-5.  If you're grilling a steak and want something to pair with your rendition of bistecca Fiorentina, then consider a bottle of this!

Currently in stock:  VIGLIANO 2004 L'ERTA $37.99

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.  

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

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! 

 

Recently installed wooden fermentation tanks...

 

Wine which will become "Chianti Classico" with the proper aging.

The Chianti Classico sometimes includes a bit of Syrah and the wine is marvelously cherryish in fruit with a hint of a spicy note.   The 2002 was a bit weak, but the 2003 is a nicely balanced, medium-weight red wine.  You won't find Chianti to be dark, robust red unless the wine has been fortified with Cabernet (or worse).  The Isole Chianti is typically cherryish in fruit with wood not being particularly noticeable.  The 2003 is a medium-bodied red and drinkable immediately.  It will probably cellar nicely for three years, or so.

We tasted several bottles of the 2004 and are confounded as to why the wine isn't better.  It should be a really good wine, but bottles we've opened were simply "off," showing a funky, odd aroma.
I tasted the 2005 in Italy and it's rather representative of the vintage, a pleasant, nicely drinkable, short-term wine.

 

 

Chardonnays have been good here.  The 2003 is toasty and creamy, moderately woodsy on the nose and palate.  It's very nice and attractively priced.  We have found this to be one of Italy's top Chardonnays and comparable, if not superior, to a good many Californian examples.

Cepparello comes from some older vines on the Isole e Olena property and is a special selection.  French oak aged.  A few bottles of 1998 are in stock for the moment.

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.  The 2001 is very good...smoky, showing some of the hickory notes we like in French Syrah wines.

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:  2003 Chianti Classico $17.99 (750ml) Sold Out
2003 Chianti (375ml)  $10.99

1998 Cepparello $49.99

2003 Chardonnay $25.99
2001 Syrah $39.99
Vin Santo (half bottles) $32.99

 

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'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 got 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah.  The 2003 is pretty much the same, despite the wildly different vintage conditions.  It's a lovely red wine, more "modern" in style and less easy to identify as a Tuscan 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's 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.  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: 

2003 Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso (Chianti Replacement) List $24 SALE $17.99
2001 Tentute Marchese (List $30) SALE $27.99  (last bottles)
2004 Pèppoli Chianti Classico (List $25) 21.99 (sale)
2004 Tignanello 750ml Sold Out
2004 SOLAIA  Sale $199.99
1998 Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino  Sold Out
1998 Guado al Tasso $99.99 (only a bottle or two remain)
1999 Guado al Tasso $85.99

Vin Santo (list $35) SALE $29.99  (500ml)
Aleatico (sweet dessert wine) No Longer being imported...
Muffato della Sala  $44.99 (500ml)

2005 CERVARO della SALA (Chardonnay/Grechetto blend from Umbria) (List $48)  
SALE $42.99

 

A vineyard site Antinori, I was told, will soon be planting in 2008.
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.

                   

TERUZZI & PUTHOD

The winery name is really "Fattoria Ponte a Rondolino" but the brand name takes the names of the couple which owns the place, Enrico Teruzzi and Carmen Puthod.

They have quite a thriving business, especially well-known for their Vernaccia-based white wine from San Gimignano called "Terre di Tufi."  It's a a barrel-fermented white wine of great fame.  The tall, slender bottle has a tiny label on one side and this is known to some as "the postage stamp label" as it resembles a stamp.  

We've been fans of this wine for many years and it was made originally for Signor Teruzzi who noted that he really didn't care if anybody liked the wine...he liked it and that was good enough!   Well, today nearly every winery in the area makes a copy of Terre di Tufi. Now the wine incorporates some Malvasia, Vermentino and Chardonnay, so the blend is unique and cannot be duplicated.  Vernaccia comprises about 80% of the blend, however.

Enrico Teruzzi arrived in San Gimignano in 1974.  His wife, Carmen, was a prima ballerina at La Scala in Milano.  They had the (at that time) radical idea of having temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, one piece to the puzzle of their wonderful wine.  French oak barrels provide another piece.  Good vineyards and careful vinification are other parts of this equation.  If you've never tasted this wine, you ought to try a bottle as it's a benchmark for Tuscan white wine.  

Currently available:  2004 "Terre di Tufi" $17.99   (750ml)

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 as an economist before trading his briefcase for a wine barrel.  He has about 9 hectares of his own and rents another hectare to make the La Gerla wines.  

Vittorio Fiore is the consulting winemaker.  They have great reverence for Brunello.  Modest yields in the vineyards produce more flavorful fruit.  Their 1999 Brunello is a good example of this wine, but it's not the hugely-oaked style that gets rave reviews from critics tasting a big flight of wines.  If you buy a bottle, please give it a few hours in a decanter to allow it to more fully blossom so you'll get your money's worth from this wine.  I find this vintage superior to the 1997 which we liked, too.


My 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.  A few recent vintages have been really good.  We do not have this in the shop currently, awaiting one that strikes our fancy.

Currently in stock: 
1999 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO  Sold Out

 

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Last modified: April 22, 2008