Tuscany holiday spring 2014
Tuscany (San Gimignano)
Tasted April 11, 2014 - April 18, 2014 by kingkanu with 607 views
Introduction
A weeks holiday with plenty of good wine (and food) to taste
The main objective was to learn more about the wines of the region, and sangiovese in particular. Staying in San Gimignano and making day trips out to taste and see the sights was a great idea, there were enough restaurants to try a different one each night with some to spare, there were also a raft of wine shops, most of which did some kind of tasting and a handful of wine bars all geared up for you to try the local wines, it was highly recommended as a base for the region. You may want to be out during the days as it was swarming with coach loads of tourists everyday, but they were mainly gone by 7pm or so leaving the amazing town quiet and atmospheric in the evenings.
Most of the restaurants were also geared up for wine and food tourists, generally the prices were very reasonable for both and we found a number of older vintages of good wines on the lists at some very reasonable prices indeed, unless you wanted the big name super tuscan wines which were on many lists at a price.
We booked all 4 visits to the estates in advance and aside from Biondi Santi were the only people visiting at the time, that made the visits very intimate and friendly, with people taking the time out of their working days to show us round and taste their wines
Flight 1 - Tasting and tour at Siro Pacenti (3 notes)
This is a producer of the modernist style and firmly focused on quality. They really emphasize their use of their old vines and blend from sites both north and south of Montalcino.
They use new french oak barriques extensively
After we visited Montalcino itself which is totally geared up for wine tourism, and little else really !
there were a multitude of wine shops with tasting facilities, one had at least 10 enomatic machines if not more and all will ship pretty much anywhere for you.
We were recomended to eat at Osteria Osticcio in the village who has over 1200 wines for sale as a store as well as to order in the restaurant, they also do a couple of tasting flights of wines.
Red
2012 Siro Pacenti Rosso di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
bright red colour. bright cherry nose, some vanilla and a little sweet spice. Fine grain tannin, cherry, cranberry, zippy acidity, persistent finish, this will keep for 2-3 years
Red
2009 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
From what the producer calls slightly younger wines from their brunello, between 15-24 years of age. This has a much deeper nose than the rosso, some vanilla on the nose, a deep purple colour with strong legs. this has a nice full flavour, a little pepper, dark cherry with more tannin that are still quite fine
Red
2009 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Made from their oldest vines of 30-35 years plus, mostly from south of the village and will keep for at least 10 years. Deep purple in colour but still clear and bright, dark molten cherry liquor with some smokey complexity, dried cranberry and tobacco but still fresh and bright and costing the mouth, very fine tannin and an amazing evolving long finish.
Flight 2 - Tasting and tour at Biondi Santi (3 notes)
This was where Brunello was first created (in 1888) and the estate reeks history, very much the traditionalist as you would expect, the difference between this and Siro Pacenti couldn't have been wider. Here the brulellos are fermented and aged in large old slavonian oak botti which are almost totally neutral as far as the oak goes. These wines will age for decades effortlessly. The tour here was with a group of 6 of us, the tasting after had print outs with our names on and with detailed notes about each wine, you had a chance to buy all the wines afterwards and they had an extensive list of old riservas for which you will need a substantial bank balance as they start around €300, i fancied the 1955 which was around €3000...
Red
2010 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Rosso di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino
Garnet colour, quite jewel like, medium body, bright cherry with a little vanilla, cherry pie aromas, fresh but not piercing, a little fine tannin, cranberry and tart cherry palate, balanced. 13.5% will keep for up to 10 years
Red
2007 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
just a hint lighter around the edge of the glass, a mid/dark garnet colour, darker berry fruits, some rose and a touch of leather. dense and mouth coating, suave tannins but certainly present, quite complex, dried cranberry, dark cherry but still quite tight, a very long and savoury finish.
Red
1997 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Quite a deep garnet core to this wine, slight orange around the edges. a very concentrated aroma of tobacco, dried red fruits, a touch of vanilla, roses, maybe even violets. very intense flavours in the mouth, wave after wave of dark cherry, leather, tobacco, and more, some very fine tannins remain still and this wine is still very fresh, almost an endless finish, fantastic
Flight 3 - Tour and tasting at Fontodi (5 notes)
I think all the wines here were from organic grapes, this was a fairly new premises with a lot of investment in the facilities, the tasting was just off of their admin offices, maybe not the most characterful visits, but just showed that people were taking time out of their working day to accommodate us.
All the wines here had quite a lovely fragrance, i would say that is almost the defining characteristic of their range.
Red
2009 Fontodi Chianti Classico
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
14% Bright and fruity nose and a vibrant red colour, just a hint of vanilla and maybe a little black currant ? a little tannin to fish
Red
2009 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
95% Sangiovese, 5% Cab Sav. from 40+ year old vines. Darker fruit here, very concentrated, a hint of chocolate. Mouthfilling and juicy but so very tight right now, tannins coat the mouth, nice finish, needs at least another 5 years
Red
2009 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Made from the estates best grapes, 100% sangiovese. spends 2 years in 100% new oak and 6-12 months in bottle. Beautiful aromatic nose, quite tight right now flavour wise, lots of fine grained tannin, lots of length with waves of flavour that seem to keep coming, nice acidity, needs 5-10 years to hit its stride.
Red
2007 Fontodi Syrah Case Via Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Not sure how long this bottle had been open, but it had got plenty of air. Deep colour, lovely syrah brambly nose, bags of fruit, quite fresh, tannins are softening now, quite an interesting glass
(note: we took a bottle of this back to our house which wasn't anywhere near as expressive, after being opened for a couple of hours it improved but wasn't as good as what we tasted at the estate)
Flight 4 - Tour and tasting at Queciabella (6 notes)
Again we were the only people visiting but the welcome couldn't have been warmer, this is an organic and biodynamic estate, the owner is a vegetarian so the wines were also vegan with no animal products used in their production at all and using only naturally occurring yeasts. This was a great tour, really very detailed about their processes, they were very proud of their new destemmer which i gather is pretty cutting edge and also sorts as well as destems !
White
2011 Querciabella Batàr
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
50/50 Pinot Bianco / Chardonnay. Rich nose, like a meursault but with more spice. Apricot, marzipan, vanilla and lots more going on, quite an amazing finish. will age for some time, id really like to try more of this.
Red
2010 Querciabella Mongrana Rosso
Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana
From the coastal region, 50% Sangiovese, 25% merlot, 25% Cab Sav
Some graphite on the nose mixed with cherry, light and fresh berries in the mouth, a little fine tannin, simple and juicy
Red
2011 Querciabella Chianti Classico
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
14% abv 100% Sangiovese. Vivid red colour, plenty of acidity with some furry tannins, juicy, uncomplicated and enjoyable.
Red
2010 Querciabella Turpino
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Cab Franc, Merlot, Syrah blend. Darker fruits here, some plums and damsons, some medium grain tannin, coats the mouth, mid finish, ages around 12-15 years. to my tatse this was the leat exciting wine of the range, definitely well made, but lacks a bit of zip and energy
Red
2008 Querciabella Camartina
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
only made in the best vintages, 70% Cab Sav, 30% sangiovese. 20 months in 40% new oak. Not obviously Cabernet on the nose, really quite tight now, sauve and sophisticated in the mouth, really fine grained tannins here. this will be a cracker, but will need a minimum of 10 years before its ready to rock in my view
Red
2008 Querciabella Palafreno Toscana IGT
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
100% Merlot, 19 months in barrel. Quiet a bright nose, something like red plums ? some soft vanilla spice, plenty of red stone fruit, very good length
Flight 5 - A few other notable wines (3 notes)
The 1990 Brunello and 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva were both drunk over dinners in San Gimignano, the Tignanello was drunk over a couple of hours while we waited for our flight in a tiny wine shop in Pisa to finish the trip, i couldn't think of a better way to end this holiday !
Red
1990 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Fully mature, lots of bricking around the edges. This was all leather, tobacco and dark cherry wafting through it, decanted and drank over 2 hours and lasted the distance fine, will probably keep some years longer and stay on the plateau
Red
1999 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
Decanted and drunk over 2 hours. Strong red colour with bricking around the edges. the nose is in that perfect place for me when the secondary aromas just start to dominate the fruit. theres leather and tobacco over the cherry and violets and a mouth watering acidity, a nice touch of tannin to gicve it a little grip to finish, but doesn't bother the overall smoothness of the wine, the finish was fabulous and went on with waves of flavour keeping it going. splendid with truffle dishes.
Red
1993 Antinori Tignanello
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
This tasted fully mature. bricking is eating a centimetre or 2 through the wine. the nose is all leather and cherry and almost leaps out of the glass. on the palate more leather cherry and tobacco with a hint of flowers such as violets, still fresh and very much alive, it will probably hold now for a number of years, still a little tannin giving it a bit of grip at the end. if there's a nit to pick it is the finish that doesn't last as long as you would like, but its a sexy and delicious bottle of wine.
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