Ten Days in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tasted Monday, September 25, 2006 by Russell Faulkner with 931 views
Introduction
Brief notes from our holiday in Southern Tuscany, staying around 10km from Montalcino.
I am no expert on these wines, and can count my previous tastes of Montalcino wines on the fingers of one hand. This was not really a 'wine trip' but I think I did quite well!
Flight 1 - Wines in the Villa / Restaurants (9 Notes)
All these wines were taken with local food either at our Villa or local restaurants. Almost all were decanted and suitable glasses used. Decants were generally an hour for Rosso, two to four for Brunello.
Flight 2 - Tenuta Carpazo (7 Notes)
The first, and my favourite trip. Carpazo is just North of Montalcino, along a very long winding gravel path. The winery is very modern, built a few years ago. A brief tour of the facilities before a tasting in the tasting room. Oddly, here as at the two other visits, wine was the same price or more than local wine shops. Carpazo seems to be a more traditional style, though they have made some more modern wines, for commercial reasons. The tour and tasting were free.
Flight 3 - Castello Banfi (6 Notes)
Banfi is an enormous operation, the scale of which I had never seen before, hundreds of massive steel tanks, 7,000 300l barrels etc... The tastign was in their large US style tasting room, and cost €10 for the Sangiovese and €10 for the supertuscans. All very boring really.
Flight 4 - Fattoria dei Barbi (3 Notes)
A very quick tour and a rushed tasting, the wines left me a little confused.
Closing
So some interesting wines. When bought locally there are some excellent values, and prices in the UK on some of the wines do not seem too much higher.
This trip realll opened my eyes to Brunello, and I think we tasted a good variety of styles.
2004 Fattoria dei Barbi Rosso di Montalcino 84 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
13% €12
Translucent ruby, muted nose of dark fruit. Initial jarring acidity leads on the attack, followed by woody herbs and light cherry, seems slightly hollow on midpalate but nice fresh fruit. A decent wine that with time in the glass developed an interesting savoury caramel element.
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2004 Podere Salicutti Rosso di Montalcino 84 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
14% €14
A light ruby, slight purpling to rim. A ripe but not jammy nose of plum and damson. Shows forthright acidity with rounded tannin that gets more prominent and less rounded on the finish, a hint of woodsmoke and black cherry, which grew with time
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2001 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
13.5% €25
Slight sign of seepage on the cork. Dark purple, impenetrable has a sheen on the surface.Aromatic nose of vanilla, indian ink and blackcurrent. Very lush fruit attack and great texture - reminded me of Sine Qua Non Syrahs in that respect. Black cherry, ripe but not over sweet, after the first flush of fruit a serious grippy tannic underbelly appears, acidity is lighter but still fresh. Despite the modern style, there are clear 'Brunello' signs - I could not confuse this with a 'common; grape. Tannins firmed up on day 2.
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2001 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 93 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
14% €24
Medium depth garnet, ruby rim. Lovely savoury burnt earth and rust nose - an old tractor. Savoury elements lead the attach too, crisp winter leaves, some dried porcini, medium body with great translucent fruit, sour cherry and fresh grape, high acidity shows on the finish where the tannins show more. An excellent wine. Tannins grew a little more aggressive as the last drops were poured.
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2004 Fazi Battaglia Chianti Le Gaggiole Fassati 80 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti
12.5% €5
Dark translucent ruby, slightly lifted nose, stinging acidity, rustic, gritty. Has its place though.
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1999 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 89 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
14% €25
Mid ruby, warm summer fruits on the nose, a hint of old fags. Quite rounded acidity seems to be just on the ripe side, with faint burnt aromas and a hint of heat to the (slightly tannic) finish. A good more traditional style, lighter weight wine, restrained.
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2004 Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino 87 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
13.5% €11
A hint of aniseed and fresh crushed raspberry and strawberry and smoke, high acid, very fresh bright fruit solid tannin, medium weight and enjoyable.
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2004 Azienda Santa Barbara Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Le Vaglie 82 Points
Italy, Marche, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico
12.5% €6
Not certain this is the right producer
Pale lemon, a hint of fresh rose, rounded texture, grass, apricot and fresh lemon. Nice enough
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2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Purple - ruby
Forest pine smoke and brooding dark cherry. Palate shows very deep layers of fruit, quite amodern fruit profile but without the oak, full acidity and osft tannin, clearly quite young, very good.
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