A Visit to Castello di Brolio, and thoughts about Bettino Ricasoli

Looking towards Siena from Brolio

Brolio is the largest estate in Chianti, one of the oldest, and also the most important. Because without Brolio we wouldn't have the Chianti Classico we know today. The estate had belonged to the Ricasoli family for centuries -- since 1141 -- but when Bettino Ricasoli inherited it in the early 1800s at the age of 18, following the death of his mother, it was mired in debt. A lesser man might have given up, but Bettino was not one to shirk a challenge; he gave up his studies and moved to Brolio, where he managed to both raise his younger siblings, whom the Grand Duchy had entrusted to his care, and save the family fortunes.

He also got involved in politics, initially Tuscan, and subsequently, after playing an instrumental role in guiding Tuscany's confluence into the newly formed Italian state, on the National stage, where he occupied the post of Prime Minister twice, the first time in 1861, when he was asked to step in for Camillo Cavour, (1810-1861, the Piemontese political genius behind the Italian unification), and the second in 1866, when he tried unsuccessfully to reach an agreement with the Church -- the Church, which had not accepted the unification of Italy, agreed to what he proposed, but the Parliament did not, so he resigned.

And returned to Brolio, which had never been far from his heart. There he devoted his time and energy to improving the lands, and one of the most interesting records to be found is in the correspondence he had with Cesare Studiati, who was a professor at the medical school in Pisa, patriot, and also a land owner with a lively scientific interest in everything that came from the land.

The two wrote back and forth frequently; they had similar political views and many of the earlier notes collected in "Alla Ricerca del 'Vino Perfetto' Il Chianti del Barone di Brolio," (Leo S. Olschki Editore, Florence, 2009), a small volume Francesco Ricasoli presented at the inauguration of a museum dedicated to Bettino in the castle, are Bettino's questions about who might be best suited for this or that post in Pisa, and Cesare's replies, and as such are of interest only to a select group of political historians.

But they also discuss farming, which, following Bettino's retirement from the national political stage, becomes a primary topic of their discourse. Not just the wine one would expect now, but other things as well, and this invites a brief aside.

Tuscany was a very different place in the 1860s; while some landowners, including Bettino Ricasoli and Cesare Studiati did take an active interest in their holdings, many preferred to live in the cities, leaving everything in the hands of the mezzadri, or tenant farmers, and the fattori, or estate managers. It was assumed that farms would be self sufficient, producing everything they needed, and as a result the sort of intensive viticulture we see today was unknown. Rather, the farming system followed a system called coltura promiscua, in which the fields were mixed, with seed crops planted between the rows of vines, and olive and fruit trees as well.

As one might guess it wasn't the most efficient system, and the more interested landowners explored a number of possible ways to make the farms more profitable; while Bettino devoted considerable energy to wine, he also explored the possibility of raising silkworms, which initially looked promising, until a silkworm blight reared its head (and yes, he and Cesare, who was also interested in silk worms, discussed this).

However, it is Bettino's comments on wine that make the correspondence so important, for he discusses both how he makes it and with what varietals. First how he made it, on July 16 1868, in a letter he sent with several sample bottles from a number of vintages that Cesare and his research team were to analyze.

"The wine," he says, "Is made as it has been these past 20 years at Brolio:

a) Careful selection of perfectly ripe grapes; those that aren't are destined to another wine (not what he was sending)

b) The stems remain with the grapes

c) The grapes are carefully crushed so as to leave no berries intact

d) When the tino (an upright wooden tank with inward-sloping sides) is filled, something we endeavor to do in the space of 24 hours, we cover it with a wooden lid, leaving a 5-cm space above the lid, which we cover with fine sand. In filling the tino we leave 30-35 cm (about a foot) between the grapes and the lid, to prevent the must, which expands as it ferments, from pressing against the lid and getting out.

e) We rack after 5 or the most 6 days.

f) After the wine finishes draining freely, we press the marks twice, combining the free-run wine and that from the first pressing, and putting the mixture into cask. The wine from the second pressing of the marks is added to the vino ordinario, or every-day wine.

g) The wine placed in casks resumes its fermentation, and we are careful to keep the casks filled. We leave them unsealed, with a tile over the holes to keep anything from dropping in. When the fermentation reduces to the point that it no longer foams we lightly stopper the casks to keep the CO2 given off, and when CO2 ceases to form we seal the casks tightly.

h) When the wine has clarified itself, we rack it.

i) In May we rack it again.

j) Every 15 days during the first year, we refill the casks.

k) In December we rack, clarify, and rack again to remove the sediment.

l) Come March we rack again

"We are by now in the second year; to be brief about it, in March and September of the first 4 years we rack, and after this time the wines of Brolio go into bottle."

This was, he says, what he did with the best wines -- those for every day use were not given the full treatment -- and that it resulted in wines of great longevity: He still had some 1841 that after 27 years was, he says, still beautifully colored and excellent.

In short, this is a quick course in traditional Tuscan wine making, and what Bettino was doing sounds very much like what Fabrizio Bianchi's Fattore told him to do when he decided to bottle the first vintage of Monsanto's Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio in 1962 -- and that too was from a Vigna Promiscua. And displayed vibrant acidity, which was the major problem Bettino had with his wine, which he sometimes found overly acidic.

Just as interesting as Bettino's method is what he put into the wine, which he says in a letter dated September 26, 1872: "My wine receives from Sangioveto much of its aroma (a characteristic I especially seek) and a certain vigor; from Canajuolo softness that tempers the harness of the former, without taking anything of its aromas, as it also has them; Malvagia, which one could omit in wines destined to aging, dilutes the first two, increasing their flavor and making the wine lighter and readier to drink for daily use."

And here we have it, the Chianti formula, two red grapes and a white. And it is from this that the people putting together the Chianti Classico Disciplinare in the early 1960s worked, and in twisting it did much harm. For they disregarded Bettino's observation about omitting Malvasia from wines destined to be aged (Riserve in particular), and also allowed Trebbiano, an extremely productive white grape that Bettino doesn't mention. As we know, the disciplinare, with the 30% white grape requirement, proved a disaster for Chianti Classico, one that was only remedied when modern winemakers, either intentionally or not, followed Bettino's advice and omitted the white grapes from their top wines (something it took the people governing the Appellation a while to allow, though they eventually did), and now, following the period during which French varietals were all the rage, we are slowly returning more towards Bettino's choice of varietals as well.

As I said, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of Bettino Ricasoli's contribution to Central Tuscan winemaking, and, therefore, to central Tuscany as a whole.

And this brings us to the museum dedicated to Bettino Ricasoli that Francesco Ricasoli opened within the walls of Castello di Brolio in 2009. It's small, four rooms, but quite interesting: The first is an armory, one of the few not associated with a Royal House in Italy, and in addition to muskets and hunting guns and whatnot has several swords either worn into battle by family members (they rode alongside the Medici Dukes) or given to members of the family in the course of state visits, and several absolutely beautiful dueling pistols.

The next room has a collection of Bettino's letters and other objects related to his political activities, while the third is not actually his, but rather the King's: Tradition dictated that whomever the King visited would prepare a room should the King want to rest, and this is the room Bettino prepared for Vittorio Emanuele II's visit to Brolio in 1863. He didn't use it, but it's still there.

The fourth room is perhaps the most interesting; it contains some of Bettino's samples and scientific apparatuses, and what I found especially striking are several vine leaves afflicted by the Phylloxera bug -- it had already reached Brolio while he was alive, and though in the coltura promiscua vineyards it wasn't the out-and-out disaster it was in vineyards with closely spaced rows of vines, it was a problem, and he wanted to know more about it.

There is also the castle, which has a beautiful rather romanticized great hall, and an impressive terrace looking towards Siena (if you turn around and look at the castle's façade you'll see the traces left by the shells during the war, when the Germans commandeered the structure to use it as a command post).

A visit to the castle and the cellars will take a morning or an afternoon (there is also a restaurant, the Osteria del Castello), and is by appointment; you should check Barone Ricasoli's site for information on making reservations for tours (or the Osteria) and other details.

And having said all this, Brolio's current wines:

Albia Rosé Toscana IGT 2010
Lot L-MD817ST
This is a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, made from grapes harvested a little early to allow for the proper acidity. Pale pink with brilliant rosepetal reflections. The bouquet is quite fresh, especially for its age, with rose petals, sea salt and a fair amount of raspberry with raspberry acidity to give life. On the palate it's fresh, with bright lively sour raspberry fruit supported by considerable sea salt and some minerality, flows into a long savory finish. Quite fresh and will be a nice picnic wine, with light pasta dishes, or also with an elegant pizza.
2 stars

Torricella Toscana IGT 2010
Lot L-RCD17 TR09-11 Single Lot

Vine Leaves Beset by Phylloxera

Chardonnay with 20% Sauvignon Blanc, fermented in steel -- The Chardonnay undergoes cyromaceration, and also goes briefly into old barriques. As one might guess the fermentation (low temperature for both) is separate, with assembly before bottling. Brilliant brassy gold with brassy yellow reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with minerality and some gooseberry supported by slightly greenish acidity and some sea salt. Nice balance in a fairly mineral key, some tropical fruit. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with fairly rich green mango fruit supported by savory minerality and some fairly bright greenish acidity, flows into a a fairly long mineral finish. Pleasant, in a fairly full key, and will work well with vegetable dishes, some butterscotch too on nose and palate, nice length. Will also age nicely.
2 stars

Barone Ricasoli Campo Ceni IGT Toscana 2008
Lot L-RGF17 SF-27
This is Sangiovese and Merlot, the goal being to make a light fresh easy to drink wine. Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit supported by underbrush and a gentle softness, with some alcohol and nice slightly dusky acidity, some pencil shavings. On the palate it's light and fresh, with pleasant berry fruit supported by brambly acidity and tannins that are quite smooth, with hints of vegetal bitterness about then that derives from the merlot and flows into a clean fresh rather bitter finish. Quite pleasant and will drink very well with foods, supporting rather than demanding center stage, and will be perfect with things such as grilled lamb chops or fagiuoli all'uccelletto. Nice acidity too Expect people to want more.
88-90

Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2009
Lot L-TBC17 TR44-11
This is Sangiovese with some Merlot and Cabernet, percentages vary from year to year. Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections cherry rim. The bouquet is quite young, and also quite fresh, with cherry fruit supported by some cedar and spice, also some sea salt. Quite promising in a model of the road key though it needs another year. On the palate it's further along, with pleasant cherry fruit supported by moderate rather brambly acidity and by tannins that are silky, with some brambly pencil shaving accents, and flow into a fairly long bitter finish. It is already drinkable, but will give more of itself in a year or two, and will age nicely for 3-5.
2 stars

Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciardi Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2008
Lot L-RGD17 AM46-10
This is a mix of their grapes and bought grapes, Sangiovese with a little Cabernet and Merlot, depends upon vintage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with some berry fruit supported by savory accents and underbrush, and also by some wet earth, also slight vegetal notes and hardwood ash. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with moderately rich cherry fruit supported by moderate berry fruit acidity, with some brambly accents and some wet leafy notes, and by tannins that are slightly toasted, and flow into a clean savory finish with some wood toast. Pleasant though I found the tannins, which have a touch of vegetal Cabernet to them, a little less pleasant than those of the Brolio. A personal preference, and the wine will in any case work well with grilled meats or light stews.
2 stars

Barone Ricasoli Colledilà Chianti Classico DOCG 2008
Lot L-MGD16 TR20-10 A single lot.
This is the second vintage of a selection from the Colledilà vineyard, which is distinct from the other vineyards they have -- it is rocky and quite calcareous. It's a Sangiovese, planted about 10 years ago, 7 ha and they find it unique and therefore bottle it singly. The wine is deep cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is pleasant, with wild cherry fruit supported by dusky accents and clean spice, also some India ink bitterness and hints of quinine, some spice, slight cedar. On the palate it's quite elegant, with rich cherry fruit supported by sour slightly brambly greenish accents, and by bright savory acidity, and tannins that are smooth and fairly silky with some brambly underpinning, and flow into a long rather bright sour cherry finish. Quite elegant, and deft, a young finely muscled athlete -- dancer, almost, and will also age nicely for a number of years. If you like the style you could drink it by the glass, but it will really give its best with red meats. Quite pleasant, and something to think about for now and for the relatively near -- 5-10 years -- future. Great finesse.
90-92

Barone Ricasoli Casalferro IGT Toscana 2008
L-TLL16 TR37-10 A single lot
This wine started life as a Sangiovese many years ago, and since then the blend has gradually changed; it's now a Merlot. Impenetrable black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is elegant, with black currant fruit supported by spice and some pencil sgavings, hints graphite, and also fairly intense black pepper spice as well, and some cedar too. Nice complexity. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful black currant fruit supported by some greenish vegetal accents, deft mineral acidity, and tannins that are very smooth and flow into a clean berry fruit finish with hints of dark chocolate. Very nice, and thinking back to older vintages I find that I like this better, it is more graceful, and considerably less forced than it once was.
90-92

Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2008
Lot L.MNN16 TR20-10 Single lot
Impenetrable black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is still quite young, with cherry fruit supported by deft cedar and some spice; it needs a couple of years to come together but is quite promising. At present a bit one track and this is youth. On the palate it's full, and rich, with bright sour cherry fruit supported by slightly balsamic acidity and by tannins that are clean and cedar laced, with warm savory balsamic accents, and flows into a long rather balsamic finish that goes on and on. Beautiful, and a distinct step up from the other wines, it will work very well with red meats and would be hard to beat beside a porterhouse cut. Though one could drink it now it will also age very well for 10 years at least, and if you have patience it will reward you.
92-4

Barone Ricasoli Granella IGT Toscana 2009
Lot L-RTN16 TR01-10
This is a passito, no wood, and designed to be clean and easy to drink. Greenish gold with golden reflections. The bouquet is intense, with powerful ripe apricot and tropical fruit, papaya and hints mango, and some botrytis as well. Exotic and sultry. On the palate it's sweet, with considerable fullness also from glycerin, and botrytis laced tropical fruit. It's a bit of a sex pot, a wine that is very approachable and will go down quite nicely, and though one often hears of that these wines should be paired with dessert I would serve it with cheeses, including greenish ones.
2 stars

Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOCG 2004
Lot L-RLM15 JI06-09
Tawny amber with apricot reflections and slightly greenish nail. The bouquet is powerful, with oatmeal and some walnut skins mingled with dried fruit and alcohol, also bitter chestnut honey and slight caramel. Impressive and pleasant to snoff. On the palate it's full, with rich savory dried fruit snd dried fig sweetness dupported by deft acidity, and by wamnut skin bitterness that gradually emerges, and then lasts and lasts, fading gradually into savory bitterness and minerality. Extremely pleasant, and of from here.
91-93

Tuscan Tempranillo and More, at Pietro Beconcini

San Miniato, a town on the left bank of the Arno River about 30 miles downstream of Florence, is not particularly known for its wine. Not that they don't grow grapes -- they do, and many farmers traditionally sold to nearby areas that are known for their wines -- but the wines they make never enjoyed much of a reputation.

This of course made is extremely difficult for those who did try to support themselves through winemaking, and while Leonardo Beconcini's father Pietro did manage to install a few cement tanks in the cellar under their house, he wasn't able to line them with glass -- that improvement was made by Leonardo, when he took over operations in the early 90s. Since then Leonardo has added a number of new tanks, all but two cement (he bought a pair of steel tanks one year when he was unable to find used cement tanks), which he keeps outside and uses during the winter months, bottling the wines they contain or transferring them to the cellar when it gets too hot out.

For that matter, Leonardo, whose only white is a Vinsanto, also makes do without computer-regulated refrigeration during fermentation: He keeps an eye on the temperatures in the vats, and if the fermenting wine gets too hot transfers it to a cooler tank outside, and then pumps it back over the cap. Temperature control is something he's like, but for now he makes do with what he has.

This frugality of necessity has also had a profound affect on the way he (and his father before him) managed their vineyards: Rather than periodically pull up the vines and replant them, as is generally done in Italy, Leonardo replaces the individual vines that die with cuttings from the best vines in the vineyard. Doing it this way allows him, on the one hand, to not loose production (and income) for the 3-5 years it takes a newly planted vineyard to begin producing, and, on the other, maintains balance in the vineyard, as most of the vines at any given time are mature, and some as much as 80-90 years old. This way of vineyard management has also led to some unusual surprises.

In particular, he had about 300 vines of a red varietal unlike any to be found in any of his neighbors' vineyards. It was quite particular, budding late and ripening early, and from an agronomic standpoint was actually better adapted to the region than Sangiovese, requiring less effort to cultivate as it was much more resistant to funguses and disease, and thus required fewer treatments -- something that is also important from an environmental standpoint. Moreover, it didn't want a tremendous amount of sun, but rather worked well in the lower parts of the hills.

When he tried microvinifying the grapes from the mystery vine separately the resulting wine was good enough that he decided to use it to make a single-varietal wine of it, rather than add it to the blend as they had always done previously. To make a single-varietal wine one must say what the grape is (to the authorities, especially), and this is where he ran into problems -- while the experts who came to look ruled out the various lesser Tuscan indigenous varietals, for example Foglia Tonda or Pugnitello, nobody was willing to hazard a guess as to what it was.

So Leonardo simply called it X, and continued studying it, propagating it through cuttings from the best vines. The answer finally came from Professor Attilio Scienza, who ran a DNA analysis on the mystery vine, and then called Leonardo to ask how it was that he had Tempranillo vines -- vines not exactly like the Tempranillo now grown in Spain, but clearly displaying the same DNA fingerprint -- in his vineyard.

While Tempranillo is very common in Spain, this was its first known occurrence in Italy, and to have it turn up in a very old and very traditionally managed vineyard rather than an experimental vineyard belonging to someone bent on trying new things was puzzling indeed.

The probable answer is a historical accident. San Miniato was one of the rest stops of the Via Francigena, the route pilgrims traveling overland followed to Rome from points to the north and to the west, and the land now belonging to Leonardo's family once belonged to the Bishopric of San Miniato, which was at one point one of the most important in Tuscany. Bishops of course had to manage their lands, and between 1730 and 1780 Leonardo's parish was home to Giovanbattista Landeschi, who was a cleric, but also a respected agronomist, and introduced many innovations; among other things he had the farmers terrace overly steep lands. Don Landeschi was also interested in viticulture, and wrote about making vineyard selections to improve wine quality -- he didn't go so far as to name the vines he was selecting, but it stands to reason that given his interest in vines a pilgrim might have brought him some, a travel souvenir from a trip to Spain, as it were, and that, when he saw that they were good, he propagated them in the vineyards he managed directly.

As I said, Leonardo took advantage of the time he spent trying to identify "Vine X" to study it, and once he got it approved for cultivation used it to rationalize his vineyards. His land, as you can see from the photographs, gently slopes to the valley floor. In the traditional Tuscan manner it was planted primarily to Sangiovese, and he told me that the grapes (red and white) in the lower vineyards, where the soil is also quite clayey, with enough moisture that drought is never a problem -- further up slope there are also abundant of sea shells, scattered through the sediments and also in lenses -- almost never ripened completely, and also suffered from mildew and other problems to an extent that would make them unusable today.

Enter Tempranillo, which buds late, making it less susceptible to the frosts that can strike valley bottoms in the spring, and ripens early too: The cooler temperatures of the valley bottom slow its ripening some, allowing it to develop greater complexity while ripening fully, while its resistance to disease and mildew allow it to stand up to the moisture. So Leonardo has planted the areas unsuited to Tuscan varietals to Tempranillo. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera are in the central areas, and there are also two ridge crest plots planted to Sangiovese, for a total of about 12 hectares.

The Wines, Tasted January 12 2012:

Pietro Boconcini Maurleo IGT Toscana 2008
Lot 54/11
Pietro named this after his two sons, Maurizio and Leonardo. It's their base wine, a 50-50 Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera IGT that was originally planned as a Chianti Superiore, though the grapes available made this impossible. It is, instead, typical for San Miniato, and ages in 2, 3, 4, and 5-year old small oak. Deep cherry with black reflections and some almandine in the rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with jammy cherry fruit laced with some wild berry fruit and slight graphite shavings hints iodine, and some spice. On the palate it's medium bodied, with bright cherry fruit supported by greenish vegetal accents and bright acidity shot with some licorice root, and by tannins that are fairly bright, and flow into a tart slightly vegetal finish. Pleasant in a fairly zesty key; there is lively acidity and the oak balances it without muzzling it, providing a smooth round underpinning. A wine that will work well with grilled meats -- spare ribs, for example -- or stews, and also with hearty meat based pasta dishes -- sugo alla Bolognese for example.
1 stars

Pietro Boconcini Chianti Riserva 2009
Lot 336/11
These grapes are from old vines, and in the past Leonardo put them into Reciso, his Sangiovese in purezza. However, these vines are more productive, and he therefore siphoned them off into a new wine, allowing them to produce more. It's 85% Sangiovese, with a mix of Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera. They have always had some Canaiolo -- not a lot, but some, and he even has some Canaiolo rosa (which for now goes into his reds). It ages in large oak. Black cherry with black reflections and some almandine in the rim, which is brick. The bouquet is moderately rich, with cherry fruit laced with menthol and some brambly accents, and also some acidity to provide zest. Also hints wood smoke. On the palate it's medium bodied, with fairly bright cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and tannins that are fairly smooth. Simple, and fairly direct, a food wine that will work well with what it's served with, not demanding attention, and go very fast.
2 stars

Pietro Boconcini Reciso IGT Toscana 2007
Lot 243/09
This was Leonardo's first wine, first vintage in 1995, and is from 6 small ridge-crest plots on two hilltops. Very steep slopes, and quite different exposures. 4 weeks maceration, more or less. -- it depends upon the quality of the skins. This vintage was aged in barriques and tonneaux (66/33, about 18 months); he now has added 10 hl botti to the mix. Deep black cherry with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with cherry fruit supported by slight menthol, and some graphite shavings with spice and slight bramble, also some sweetness from alcohol -- it's 14.5% . Nice harmony, and the alcohol is not apparent as such. On the palate it's medium bodied, with full cherry fruit laced with nutmeg spice, and supported by minerality and savory notes, quite mineral, and by tannins that have a warm mineral burr and flow into a clean fairly long mineral finish. Quite pleasant in a rather austere key; it's far from a fruit bomb and as such more particular than some. If you like the style you will enjoy it considerably, but you have to like the style. Nice aging potential too.
88-90

Their land is marine sediments, with quite a bit of salt, and also an abundance of fossil shells that release carbonates into the soil.

The Tempranillo Wines


Pietro Boconcini IXE 2008 IGT
Lot 11/11
Ixe (pronounced eexeh) is the Italian pronunciation of the letter X; this is Leonardo's lesser Tempranillo-based wine, made from the roughly 4.5 hectares of Tempranillo he planted between 1997 and 2005. It's about 4.5 ha in all. Here he allows the vines considerable liberty -- they're planted to 6,500 vines ha, and the production of the individual vines depends upon the number of buds. He green harvested through the 5th vintage, but once they reached equilibrium cut back, saying, "it's a very precocious varietal, and reducing the bunch load would lead to overly early ripening. The goal is a simple wine; production is a bit less than 2 k per vine, 130 quintals per hectare. It ages in small oak, all old, and about 30% American oak, which Leonardo uses because American oak oxygenates more, and this counters Tempranillo's tendency to go into reduction. Deep black cherry, close to poured ink. The bouquet is bright, with sour cherry fruit laced with chopped tomato acidity, and savory notes, also some underbrush and bramble, and some wood smoke too, with underlying vegetal notes. On the palate it's medium bodied, with bright rather balsamic fruit -- it's quite distinct from Sangiovese -- supported by warmth and spice, and by tannins that are warm and balsamic and flow into a clean savory finish,. Also some mint on palate and nose. It's interesting, quite pleasant, and also quite obviously not Sangiovese, though just as obviously not one of the popular French varietals; if someone were to hand it to me and say "where's it from?" I might have guessed Calabria. Very fresh -- one wouldn't guess it's 14.5% alcohol -- and will work well with foods, especially grilled meats.
2 stars

Pietro Boconcini Vigna Alle Nicchie IGT Toscana 2007
(Forgot to note the lot number)
This is from the historic vineyard, with the old vines that Leonardo started with, and a small parcel he planted on a ridge crest in 1998 -- a trial, which he is using for this wine. The grapes from the ridge crest are harvested early, and allowed to dry for 4 weeks prior to vinification. His aim is to make a Tempranillo with aging capacity, and to do this he needed ripe grapes. However, ripe grapes are low in acidity, so he harvests some earlier to have the acidity, and then works with the rest, allowing them to ripen. In the end it works it out. The wine is deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, with rich cherry fruit laced with berry fruit jam, some menthol, slight underbrush, and some cumin seed. Interesting, and again clearly distinct from Sangiovese. On the palate it's full, and quite smooth, with elegant balsamic cherry plum fruit supported by savory accents and balsam-laced tannins with some cedar, and as the other elements fade lasting balsamic warmth. Interesting, and enjoyable, powerful and charged too, and because of its sweetness, which is in part alcohol -- 15.5 % -- it will work better with stews or succulent not too fatty roasts than grilled meats. It's reminiscent in some ways of an Amarone type wine, though the drying cycle is much faster. In terms of accompaniments, one might go with peposo, sweet-and-pungent hare (or boar), and other savory dishes with chocolate.
Particular, and though it won't work everywhere it will be perfect in the proper setting.
2 stars

Pietro Boconcini Caratello Vin Santo del Chianti 2001
This is quite traditional, with some Malvasia Nera -- the percentage varies with the vintage, up to 30%. Leonardo generally dries the grapes until February, though this year (2011) it was dry enough that he pressed them at the end of December. The wine ages at least 5 years in a mix of oak and chestnut casks. Leonardo has also begun making an Occhio di Pernice (Vinsanto from red grapes), but won't release it until 2014. This wine is tawny amber with greenish brown accents on the rim and some apricot reflections too. The bouquet is smoky, with considerable walnut skin and some nutmeats, and also quite a bit of sea salt and toasted almonds, and slight brown sugar. None of the oatmeal that sometimes emerges from Vinsanto. Slight dried fig, however. On the palate it's sweet, with the sweetness balanced by considerable savory notes, and by a tremendous wash of walnut supported by some savory accents, flowing into a walnut and toasted almond finish that lasts and lasts. Nuts in a glass, and quite pleasant, and as the nuts fade maple sugar sweetness emerges -- something I hadn't noted in a vinsanto before, but find quite nice.
88-90

Want to know more? Visit Pietro Beconcini's Site

Tasting Through Ruffino

This fall Ruffino presented a new wine: Lodola Nuova Syrah, a Cortona DOC wine produced not far from where they make their Lodola Nuova Nobile di Montepulciano. The presentation was held at the Tenuta di Montemasso, a recently restored former convent on the highest ridge overlooking Florence from the Chianti Classico side, and even had I not been interested in wines I would have eagerly accepted the invitation to see the convent and admire the view.

But I am interested in wines, and Ruffino took advantage of the occasion to present the current vintages of a number of their other wines, some of which I was familiar with, and others -- especially those from a couple of extra-Tuscan estates -- that were new to me. It was a beautiful evening, watching the lights twinkle on over Florence as dusk fell, and enjoying a considerable variety of foods with the wines -- everything from cold cuts through chicken curry and steak with the reds, and grilled cuttlefish spiedini with the whites.


The wines, in the order I tasted them:

Tenuta Lodola Nuova Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005
Lot 1L08149
Lively cherry ruby. The bouquet is bright and brambly, with sour red berry fruit and cherries laced with brambly acidity and some underbrush. Both lively and scrappy. On the palate it's bright and medium bodied with fairly rich slightly sour cherry fruit supported by clean bitter tannins with a deft burr that flow into a clean bitter finish. Pleasant in a bright key and will drink well with foods, ranging from minestra di pane (Tuscan bread kale and soup) through risotti, grilled meats, and light stews. Expect it to drink quickly.
2 stars

La Lodola Nuova Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2004
Lot L07347
Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is intense, with cherry and red berry fruit -- There is some Merlot that presents as forest fruit -- supported by bramble, underbrush, and spice. Nice depth combined with considerable elegance. A head above the 05 and this is the vintage. On the palate it's full and smooth, with elegant berry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that have a slightly greenish cedary burr, and flow into a clean bitter finish. Brooding, and elegant in a fairly international key, and is a wine you'll like if you like a richer, fruit driven style.
2 stars

Tenute Sante Dame Chianti Classico 2006
Lot 08176
Lively cherry ruby with white rim. The bouquet is deft, with clean red berry fruit supported by smooth black currant fruit and slight hints of bramble. Welcoming in an international key. The palate reflects the nose, and the wine is medium bodied with bright rather languid cherry and forest berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have a slight bitter cedar burr that flows into a clean bitter finish. Pleasant in an international key, and if you like rather softer fruit driven wines (as opposed to the more brambly acidic traditional style) you will much enjoy it. Because of its rich smoothness it will work better with drier cuts for example roast beef medium rare or turkey or pork loin, and it will also be nice with moderately spiced Oriental dishes.
2 stars

Tenute Sante Dame Chianti Classico Riserva 2005
Lot 07339
This is primarily Sangiovese, with some Colorino and Merlot, and is deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with quite a bit of cedar mingled with spice and underlying tart cherry fruit. The vintage is weaker than the 06, and wood steps in to a degree. On the palate it's medium bodied, with moderate berry fruit supported by brambly acidity and tannins that contribute considerable cedary bitterness that carries into a long cedar-laced finish. By comparison with the 2006 Chianti Classico Base it feels thin and this is because the vintage was less good. In terms of accompaniments, because of the savory tannic bitterness that flows through it I'd be tempted to serve it with grilled meats.
1 star

Tenute Sante Dame Romitorio IGT Toscana Centrale 2004
Lot 07015
This is 60% Colorino and 40% Merlot, and is deep pigeon blood ruby with violet rim -- Colorino is used to impart color, and it does. The bouquet is intense, with red berry fruit laced with mint, some cedar, and hints of sandalwood, with underlying chopped beef and prunes, perhaps from a touch of overripeness. It does in any case have a fair amount to say in a fairly international key. On the palate it's ample, rich, and very smooth, with powerful forest berry fruit that gains direction from graphite shaving bitterness more than acidity, and is supported by ample very polished tannins that carry the fruit into a clean bitter finish. It's frankly voluptuous, like a sumptuous 50's starlet in a glass, and if you like the style you will like it very much. If you don't you won't like the wine, and there's no middle ground I can see. Because of its rich smoothness it will work well with flavorful non-fatty meats, e.g. a pot roast or medium rare roast beef sliced fairly thick.
2 stars

Ruffino Modus IGT Toscana 2005
Lot 07253
This is a 25-25-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese; it's deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim, and has an intense bouquet with fairly marked vegetal accents - the Cabernet - supported by brambles and cedar. There's less fruit than one might expect from a richer vintage, but it's nicely balanced and they did a good job with what Nature offered. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich red berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fruit laced slightly bitter finish. I'd have liked and expected more acidity than there was; if you like smooth fruit driven wines you'll enjoy it with rich, not too fatty meat dishes. If you prefer a more traditional, more aggressive style it won't work as well for you.
1 star

Poggio Casciano Nero al Tondo Toscana IGT 2004
Lot 06156
This is a Pinot Noir, and is pale ruby with hints of almandine in the rim. The bouquet is bright, with fairly brambly acidity laced with menthol and sour cherry. Pleasant in a slightly muted key, and is a wine one can listen to. On the palate it's medium bodied with fairly rich red berry fruit supported by clean sour berry fruit acidity that gains a degree of languor from slight sweetness and is supported by clean light brambly tannins that flow into a tart savory finish. It's pleasant, though I have the impression that the climate's a little too warm for the grape.
2 stars

Tenuta Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino 2003
Lot 07137
Pale almandine ruby with almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with decidedly jammy red berry fruit supported by some underbrush and menthol. On the palate it's full, with fairly sweet red berry fruit supported by ample sweet tannins that have some greenish cedary accents, while the acidity is rather low. It's a good expression of Brunello given the long, searing 2003 vintage -- it has improved some since I tasted it at the Anticrime -- but is nowhere near what Brunello can be in a good vintage.
1 star

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Braida Nuova Venezia Giulia IGT 2004
This is extra-tuscan, a 40-60 blend of Refosco and Merlot, and is deep pigeon blood ruby with a fairly intense bouquet that features mentholated red berry fruit laced with black currant fruit, some brambly acidity, and some hints of sage and graphite; it has an almost chewy feel to it. On the palate it's full, rich, and quite smooth on the attack, with slightly bitter black currant fruit supported by graphite shaving bitterness and deft brambly acidity, while the tannins are laced with cedar and flow into a clean bitter finish. It will drink quite well with succulent grilled meats or hearty roasts, and will also go quickly. Because of its aggressive bitterness it won't drink as well by the glass far from the table. Perfect in the proper setting.
2 stars

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Collio Bianco 2004
Lot 06138
This is a blend of 66% barrel fermented Chardonnay and 33% Malvasia Istriana in steel. It's pale brassy yellow and has a rich bouquet laced with honeysuckle and caramel with somementholated accents and hints of candied fruit as well. Harmonious. On the palate it's full, with rich white berry fruit supported by greenish accents and peppery spice that flow into a clean savory finish. Fairly direct, but pleasant, and will be nice as an aperitif or with cheese or fish dishes, while it also has the body necessary for white meats, and sufficient acidity to work well with fried foods.
2 stars

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Collio Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Lot 07180
Bale brassy gold with brassy reflections. Bright bouquet with classic gooseberry aromas mingled with tropical fruit and some floral notes, as well as honeydew melon. Nice balance and inviting. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich slightly bitter gooseberry fruit that flows into a clean bitter gooseberry finish. Pleasant in a direct way, and will drink quite well with fish or cheese based dishes, and also with creamy white meats.
2 stars

La Colombara Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry 2007
Pale papery white with fine perlage. Bright bouquet with fairly rich apple accents supported by tart apple acidity; nice crispness too. On the palate it's fresh, and light, with lively green apple fruit supported by crisp aple acidity and flows into a clean crisp finish. Quite approachable in a clean, direct key, and will be pleasant either as an apreitif or at table, especially with creamy dishes such as risotto.
2 stars

And Finally, The Reason for the Evening:

La Lodola Nuova Syrah Cortona DOC 2006
Deep cherry ruby. The bouquet is fresh and quite varietal, with cut tobacco and green leather miongled with spice and underbrush. The vines seem young - there's a directness to it that comes from vineyard youth, but it promises well. On the palate it's moderately rich - the youth of the vineyards is more apparent and comes through as a thinness of fruit, though there is underbrush, which is supported by pronounced graphite bitterness. It's a child, in every sense of the word, and needs time - at least 3-5 more vintages for the vineyards to begin to produce more mature fruit. In short, the future is promising, and it will be interesting to see how this Syrah develops.

Impressions?

Enjoyable, and the reds are bound by a common stylistic thread; they tend to be fruit driven and fairly soft, with acidities that are held firmly in check. In other words, they're fairly international in style, and if you like this style you will enjoy them. Even if you prefer the more aggressive, traditional style with more evident acidity and tannin, you will find things to enjoy, though you'll have to be more careful in selecting. I would recommend, for the traditionally minded, Le Lodole Nuove's Montepulciano, and also the Tenuta Borgo Conventi's Braida Nuova Venezia Giulia IGT.

There were also several whites, and while the Tuscan ones didn't impress me, I liked the two from Friuli Venezia Goilia, a region much better suited to white wines than Tuscany. And I much enjoyed Ruffino's Prosecco, which I tasted at Spumantia but have also included here.