Posts Tagged ‘Tuscany’
My life as a high-roller, part deux
Dropped by my neighbourhood SAQ yesterday to pick up wines for next week’s tasting. After saying hello, the senior wine advisor disappeared into the back room and reemerged holding a glass that contained a small pour of a deep maroon-coloured wine. All he said about it was that the bottle had been uncorked more than 12 hours earlier and was only now beginning to open up.
Bordeauxish nose of candied cassis, cedar, tobacco and some graphite. Full-bodied and rich on the palate though not heavy, the texture somehow both silky and velvety. The mouth-filling fruit is too ripe and sweet – not austere enough – for a Bordeaux. The structure is fine-grained, the tannins tight but not forbidding. Oak, obviously of very high quality, has been lavishly but not overwhelmingly applied. The finish is long. Possessed of a restraint, balance, fluidity, savour that seem more Old Worldish than New. A handsome wine, clearly a thoroughbred, with no flaws other than, perhaps, a lack of soul.
I guessed Italian but it didn’t occur to me that a lowly Classique store would stock, let alone pour the latest vintage of one of Italy’s highest-profile wines, the first super-Tuscan: Sassicaia Bolgheri 2009, Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido ($169.00, 00743393). A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Macerated on the skins for about two weeks, with regular pump-overs and rack-and-returns. Matured in French oak barrels (one-third new) for 24 months. 13.5% ABV.
If I lived in a parallel universe and actually owned a bottle of this, I wouldn’t touch it for another eight to ten years.
MWG September 13th tasting: report (3/3)
A member of the Mo’ Wine Group has a small vineyard just west of Lake Memphremagog in the Eastern Townships. The day of the tasting, he kindly delivered a shopping bag full of wine grapes, mostly red Marquette, that gave us the basis for dessert: a Tuscan winemaker’s grape cake (recipe after the jump). With it we served a vin santo.
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2004, Badia a Coltibuono ($41.25/375 ml, 11544193)
A blend of organically farmed Trebbiano and Malvasia from 10- to 30-year-old vines. Once harvested, the bunches are dried for several weeks in well-ventilated rooms, then pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation and aging (four years) take place in small oak casks exposed to seasonal temperature variations. 16.5% ABV.
Enchanting nose of dried spice, nut brittle, apricot and autumn air. Intensely flavoured: mostly candied orange peel with some background caramel. Bordering on rich but saved from heaviness by bright acidity and residual sugar levels that are kept in check. Quite long if not especially deep. Enjoyable though it doesn’t erase memories of Isole e Olena’s often astounding vin santo.
Chimera classica
Dropped by the neighbourhood SAQ in search of a Sangiovese to go with spaghetti al pesto rosso (recipe after the jump) and walked out with this. Though I would have preferred a more reserved wine, it did stand up well to the bold flavours of the pasta.
Chianti Classico 2009, Castello di Volpaia ($22.85, 10858262)
100% organically farmed Sangioveto (aka Sangiovese) according to the estate’s website and the Quebec agent; others say it contains 10% Merlot and Syrah. Whatever the variety, the grapes come from the estate’s own vineyards, the highest in altitude in the Chianti region, and are destemmed and lightly crushed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts for two weeks, with twice daily punching down. Macerated on the skins for a further ten days. After malolactic fermentaion, the wine is transferred to large Slavonian oak barrels for 14 months’ aging. 13.5% ABV.
Reticent and slightly reductive on opening. Begins to open after half an hour in the carafe. The nose is dominated by earth, graphite, old wood and green tobacco aromas; the tangy red fruit – mainly cherry – is very much in the background.
Rich on the attack. The sweet, ripe fruit is immediately apparent but soon countered and eventually subsumed by bright acidity, light but firm tannins, a basso continuo astringency and a crescendoing bitternness that lasts though the long, very dry, cigar boxy finish. Gains weight, smoothness and a New World-like character (driving fruit, noticeable oak, superficial intensity) as it breathes, though the finish remains unmistakeably Italian. A chimera.
Emotionless grapes?
Chianti Classico 2008, Castell’in Villa ($21.30, 00908228)
100% Sangiovese from the estate’s various vineyards. Aged 12 months in “traditional Tuscan casks,” which probably means large, multi-vintage barrels. 14% ABV.
Nose less fruity than some – dried wood, black cherry, hints of leather, terracotta, tobacco leaf, spice, alcohol – but blossoming as the wine breathed. Medium-bodied and fluid. There’s some sweet fruit on entry but it quickly retreats, forming a backdrop to the interplay of high acidity, fine if astringent tannins, alcoholic warmth and savoury flavours (tobacco, old wood, minerals) that linger fruitlessly through the finish.
On this showing, not quite up to the level of the 2008 from, say, Querciabella. Of course, neither is its price. Perhaps more to the point, it seems to lack the spark I recall from earlier vintages. The wine has got some good press (Wine Spectator rated it 92 points, for whatever that’s worth) but I find the comments of the owner, the charming if camera-shy Pincipessa Coralia Pignatelli della Leonessa, more telling. According to Jamie Goode: “Of the 2008 vintage, she says that, ‘The grapes are correct but there is no emotion in them.'”
MWG August 16th tasting: report (4/5)
It’s funny how wines you enjoy can drop off your radar for several years. That was the case for me and Fontodi, whose wines I’d always admired but hadn’t tasted for a decade. In planning this flight, I wondered whether in the intervening years the wines, especially the Flacianello, might have gone over to the Parkerized dark side like certain other Supertuscans. I needn’t have worried.
Chianti Classico 2008, Fontodi ($27.00, 00879841)
100% organically farmed Sangiovese from various Fontodi vineyards. Fermented with native yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks, then aged in French oak barrels (not many new, I’d guess) for 12 months. Average annual production: 170,000 bottles. 13.5% ABV.
The bottle at the tasting was corked. A replacement bottle wasn’t.
Heady nose of black cherry, turned earth, old wood and kirschy alcohol. Medium-bodied, smooth and velvety. The ripe fruit gives an initial impression of sweetness, yet the wine is very dry, a sensation only enhanced by the light, prevailing astringency. Structure is provided by acidity as much as tannins. Long finish: earth, tobacco and that lingering core of sweet fruit. Not a deep wine but elegant and satisfying all the same. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Chianti Classico Riserva 2008, Vigna del Sorbo, Fontodi ($52.75, 00742072)
Organically farmed Sangiovese (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) from 30-year-old vines in the Vinga del Sorbo vineyard. Fermented with native yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks, then aged in French oak barrels (half new) for 24 months. Average annual production: 30,000 bottles. 14% ABV.
Textbook Sangiovese nose of great depth: tobacco, black cherry, terra cotta and only a hint of oak. Medium- to full-bodied. Astoundingly pure fruit. Finely structured: the balance between ripe tannins and lightening acidity is well nigh perfect. Deep, long and possessed of the estimable quality that Paul de Cassagnac described as “fluid savour.” Impeccable. (Buy again? My Labour Day weekend 10%-off-sale purchase.)
IGT Colli Toscana Centrale 2008, Flaccianello della Pieve, Fontodi ($82.00, 11364571)
Selected lots of organically farmed Sangiovese from the estate’s top vineyards. Fermented with native yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks, then transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged in new French oak barrels for a minimum of 18 months. Average annual production: 60,000 bottles. 14.5% ABV.
Complex albeit closed nose of leather, mint, red fruit, black pepper and precision-dosed oak with tar and herb notes. Medium- to full-bodied. Primary but approachable. The sweet fruit is tethered by a mineral astringency. The texture is fluid despite the taut tannins and deep-running acidity. Beautiful structure and layers of flavour that reveal themselves as the wine breathes. A whiff of ash on the long, long finish. The tension – between power and restraint, between superficial allure and hinted-at depth – is something to behold. (Buy again? If I had the budget, yes.)
Isole e Olena’s 2009 Chianti Classico
This 50-hectare Tuscan estate was created in the 1950s by combining two farms, one called Isole and the other called Olena. It’s good to see their Chianti Classico returning to form after the lean and green 2008. The wine made a near-perfect match with the chicken recipe you’ll find after the jump.
Chianti Classico 2009, Isole e Olena ($27.80, 00515296)
A blend of Sangiovese (82%), Canaiolo (15%) and Syrah (3%). Fermented on the skins in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for around one week, with daily rack-and-returns and pump-overs. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into old barrels and 4,000-litre botti and aged for about one year. 14% (!) ABV.
Textbook Chianti nose: black cherries and pits, tobacco, terra cotta, cedar, leather and a whiff of kirsch. Medium-bodied. Very dry, almost to the point of austerity but saved by the fruit, which is somehow both very present and elegantly reserved. Astringent tannins – like those in long-steeped tea – and souring acidity provide just enough structure. Long finish with lingering plum peel, wood (not oak) and minerals. Ready to go and probably not a keeper. Sangiovese lovers needn’t hesitate.
Rosso di terrazza
IGT Toscana 2010, Casamatta, Bibi Graetz ($15.45, 11372441)
The name means “crazy house.” 100% young-vine Sangiovese. Fermented in stainless steel, aged in barrels after malolactic fermentation. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Sour cherry, raspberry, leaf mould, a floral note and a hint of kirschy marzipan. Underpinned by light tannins and buoyed by acidity, the sweet and tart fruit leads to a softly astringent, bitter-edged finish. This welterweight may be simple and commercial but, lightly chilled on a hot summer evening, it’s also quite enjoyable in its juicy kind of way. Serve with grilled Italian sausages, braised beef or just about anything in tomato sauce.
Definitely not the Jura
Chianti Classico 2009, Querciabella ($28.80, 10277986)
Biodyanmically farmed Sangiovese (95%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) from several vineyards. The grapes are destemmed but not crushed, then fermented and macerated in stainless steel vats. Spends 12 months in French oak casks (10% new for the Sangiovese, 80% new for the Cabernet). No animal products are used in the process, making this a vegan-friendly wine.
Smells like Tuscany. Red and black cherry, terra cotta, turned earth, cedar, hints of leather and tobacco. Closed down as it breathed.
Tastes like it smells. Medium-bodied with a fluid texture. The lean, ripe fruit is wrapped in fine but puckery tannins. Acidity brightens everything. Slate and cigar box outlinger the fruit on the long finish.
Savoury and suave if tight and a little one-dimensional at present; a few years (as many as ten) in a cool, dark place will bring suppleness and complexity. Which isn’t to say that those who aren’t allergic to austere, youthfully astringent wines won’t derive pleasure now.
Always one of my favourite Chianti Classicos, this is true to form in 2009. Just about perfect with lamb chops marinated in lemon juice and olive oil then grilled over charcoal and served with sautéed spinach and rosemary roasted potatoes. Must buy more.
MWG March 16th tasting: report (3/4)
Wildass Red 2008, Niagara Peninsula, Stratus ($24.00, 11601143)
A hodgepodge of a dozen or so grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Tempranillo. Complex if not particularly deep nose: black cherry, shoe leather, turned earth, leaf mould, sawed wood, volatile herbs. Smooth and fluid from start to finish. Structured but not rigid. Spicy fruit, racy acid and a slatey finish. Pure and appealing. One of the most drinkable Ontario reds I’ve tasted; too bad it doesn’t go for $20. (Buy again? Yes.)
Colli Euganei IGT 2006, Gemola, Vignalta ($43.50, 11581074)
Vignalta’s flagship wine. Mainly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc, grown in volcanic soils. Red fruit with notes of tomato paste, cola and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, velvet-textured. Rich but vibrant: sweet dark fruit and a touch of vanilla shaped by firm tannins and keen acidity. Long, savoury finish. Lots of class. (Buy again? Quite possibly.)
Toscana IGT 2006, Pergolaia, Caiarossa ($23.55, 11604619)
Biodynamically farmed Sangiovese (90%), Merlot (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%). Fermented with native yeasts. Sulphur is used minimally and added only after malolactic fermentation. Aged 14 months in neutral barriques and botti. Textbook Sangiovese nose, albeit fresher than a Chianti’s: black cherry, savoury spice and terra cotta with herbaceous and graphite notes. Medium-bodied, with sweet fruit, tight, drying tannins and coursing acidity. Fairly long, tobacco-scented finish. Straightforward, nothing profound but pure and enjoyable. (Buy again? Yes.)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2001, Vigneto St. Ercolano, Carpineto ($50.00, 11566464)
Sangiovese (85%) with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all from a vineyard planted in 1995. Fermented in cement vats with indigenous yeasts. Matured 13 months in new French and American oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered in 2003, then cellared for five years before release. Suave nose of plum, cedar, spice and cigar box. The fruit starts smooth and silky but dries on the leathery finish. The lightly astringent tannins are mostly resolved. Not much depth or dazzle for a $50 wine. (Buy again? Unlikely.)
MWG March 2nd tasting: report (3/4)
Colli Berici 2008, Montebelvedere, Dal Maso ($19.95, 11581007)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 12-year-old vines. Fermented in stainless steel, aged 12 months in second-vintage Allier oak barriques and botti. Identifiably Cabernet nose of cassis, mint/celery and cedar wood. Medium-bodied and balanced, with a core of sweet fruit and no greenness. Not very tannic. Fair length. A bit simple and anonymous but definitely drinkable. (Buy again? If in the market for a $20 Cab, sure.)
IGT Toscana 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, San Fabiano Calcinaia ($25.95, 11546914)
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot. Spent 15 months in first and second-vintage barriques. Umami nose: tamari, cordovan leather, shaved wood. Medium to full-bodied. Quite tannic. Dark and inky palate not showing much fruit. Plum, cocoa and iodine-scented finish. Needs another year or two in the bottle. (Buy again? If in the market for a $25 Cab, sure.)
IGT Umbria 2005, Rosso Outsider, Arnaldo Caprai ($30.25, 11580821)
A 50-50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in French oak barrels. Brooding nose of plum and clean sweat, developing cedar and graphite notes. Somewhat closed (or maybe just austere by nature) but also tasting far more Italian than the other two bottles. Chewy but not heavy fruit, rustic but ripe tannins. Long, dark finish. Straightforward, close to the earth, appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
Brett happens 