Tenimenti Angelini: Central Tuscan Sangiovese

Tenimenti Angelini has estates in Chianti Classico, Montepulciano and Montalcino.

Valentina Paolini, who does PR work for them, asked me if I'd like to taste and compare the Sangiovese-based wines from the different estates at Vinitaly. I'm glad I said yes, because there are significant differences.

We began with their latest Sangiovese-based wine, a Rosato made at the Tenuta Tre Rose in Montepulciano, which they introduced to meet the requests of people visiting the wine shop in their Montalcino estate.

Trerose Très Rosè Rosato di Toscana IGT 2009
Lively charged pink with brilliant slightly salmon reflections. The bouquet is vinous and fresh with jammy raspberry accents and lively brambles as well. Zesty. On the palate it's pleasantly full, with bright raspberry cherry fruit supported by lively sour cherry acidity and by very soft brambly tannins that flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant and will drink very well at a cookout or with summer foods. A classic summer quaffing wine that will go quickly.
2 stars

And Now, The Reds

The wines from Chianti Classico - The San Leonino Estate

The vini d'annata are aged in botte, whereas the selections and Riserve are aged in barriques.

Tenimenti Angelini San Leonino Castellina in Chianti Chianti Classico DOCG 2007
Pale brick ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with dusky cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and some brambles and slight smoky underbrush; it brings to mind dappled shade on a crisp fall day. On the palate it's medium bodied, with bright slightly sour cherry fruit supported by berry fruit acidity and warmth, and by tannins that have a slight greenish burr and flow into a fairly long berry fruit finish with tannic underpinning. Direct, and a classic food wine that will work well with pasta dishes, light roasts or stews, and is one of those wines that will support without taking center stage.
2 stars

Tenimenti Angelini Monsenese Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva 2005
Deep black almandine with back reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, and cool weather, with dusky berry fruit supported by bitterness and some leaf tobacco, and also a fair amount of underbrush. Not as sunny as the 07 and this is to be expected. On the palate it's full and quite smooth with moderately intense berry fruit supported by cedar laced acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a fairly long cedar laced finish. A nice expression of cool vintage Chianti, and though ready will also age well for at least 5 years more. The fruit works well, and doesn't rely overmuch on oak, a common problem in the 2005 vintage.
2 stars

The wines from Montepulciano - The Tre rose Estate

Tenimenti Angelini Tre Rose Rosso di Montepulciano DOCG 2008
Dusky black cherry with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is very different from those of the Chianti Classico,s with mentholated berry fruit supported by slightly balsamic acidity. It's a little more old school, and also has some intriguing greenish accents. On the palate it's bright, with zesty slightly greenish berry fruit supported by bright brambly acidity and by clean vegetal laced tannins that have a slightly raspy burr and flow into a warm fairly long sour cherry finish. Pleasant in a scrappy key and will drink quite well with grilled meats or light stews, and I would be quite happy to pour it at a cookout too. It also has the capacity to age nicely for 3-5 years, though I would be tempted to drink it now to enjoy its freshness.
2 stars

Tenimenti Angelini Tre Rose Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2007
Deep black almandine ruby with black rim. The bouquet is intense, and smoky, with rich jammy cherry plum fruit supported by a fair amount of cedar; there's a languid feel to it that's almost but not quite slinky. On the palate it's ample and smooth with fairly rich cherry plum fruit supported by moderate acidity and by a fair amount of minerality, while the tannins are smooth and quite sweet, though they have a bitter pencil shaving foundation to them. Pleasant in a rich smooth key, and will drink well with drier meats. It's also young, and needs another year or two for the tannins to smooth completely and fold in. Very different in character from the rosso, which is much zestier -- this is softer.
2 stars

Tenimenti Angelini Tre Rose Simposio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2006
This is Sangiovese in purezza (the Nobile base has a little Cabernet), and is deep garnet ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is delicate, with slightly sour berry fruit supported by clean cedar and some spice. Pleasant to sniff and though ready clearly will go further. On the palate it's medium bodied and quite smooth, with full soft cherry plum fruit supported by clean sweet tannins that have a vanilla underpinning, and to be honest though the contribution of the oak is evident, I wouldn't have guessed it spent 2 years in new oak, because it has sufficient fruit to stand up to it. It will age nicely for 5-8 years more at least.
2 stars

The wines from Montalcino - The Val di Suga Estate

Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Rosso di Montalcino DOCG 2008
Almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is muted at first swish, though further swishing brings up rather sour cherry fruit supported by heather and some savory accents, also pleasant intense spice from grapes, nutmeg and slight cloves in particular. On the palate it's full and quite smooth, with fairly rich cherry plum fruit supported by moderate acidity and smooth sweet tannins that have a languid feel to them and flow into a fairly warm dry finish. It's smoother and softer than I would have expected a Rosso to be, but is quite fresh, and I would drink it sooner rather than later to enjoy its freshness. This is made from the younger vineyards, which don't display quite as much depth as the older ones do, and it shows to a degree, because it's rather direct. And a bit of a seductive, curvy wine thanks to the softness and sweetness of the tannins. Slight peaches in the finish. Because of its softness it's a bit more particular in terms of pairings, and will work best I think with drier meats.
1 star

Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2005
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with moderate berry fruit supported by dusky cedar with some balsamic accents as well. It's clearly a cool weather vintage, but seems to push harder than the 2005 Chianti Classico, and this is because of a difference in the grapes. The result is, when sniffing the two side by side, that the Chianti seems jammier, whereas the Brunello, which is also more almandine, is warmer and distinctly balsamic. On the palate it's ample and rich, with fairly intense sour cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have some balsamic accents and slightly balsamic acidity that flow into a clean fresh rather savory balsamic finish. Pleasant, in a cool weather key, and will drink well with grilled meats or light stews.
2 stars

Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino 2004
Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, and still very young, with considerable cedar that emerges at the outset, and as it opens reveals some berry fruit as well. A babe that is at the beginning of a long path. On the palate it's rich and smooth, and more along, with fairly rich languid cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh berry fruit finish with some tannic underpinning with white pepper spice. It's graceful, but needs another couple of years overtones get its bearings and will age very well for a decade or more thereafter.
90

Tenimenti Angelini Val di Suga Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 1995
This was the first vintage of Vigna Spuntali. Almandine with paler almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, and quite mature, with warm spice and balsamic accents mingled with sea salt and spice, and as it opens dried flowers and underlying red fruit -- more plum than cherry but red -- and pleasant savory accents as well. On the palate it's full and velvety, with rich slightly sour cherry fruit supported by dusky acidity, and by velvety tannins that flow into a clean bright rather lacy finish. Beautiful wine, and one that I would be tempted to drink with like-minded friends far from the table, because I would want to concentrate on it and not on the foods. Wanting to serve it with foods, a classic Bistecca alla Fiorentina would be nice. Allowing for vintage variations, this is the direction in which the 2004 Val di Suga is headed.
92-3

If I were asked to describe the Sangiovese from the three regions with three words, I would likely select lively, soft, and austere.

The Sangiovese from the Chianti Classico estate is has a bright, lively zestiness to I that makes it a perfect companion to a wide variety of foods; within this picture the Chianti Classico D'Annata is lighter and will work better with lighter dishes, ranging from hearty soups through red-sauced pasta dishes and quickly cooked meats, especially off the grill, The Riserva is, as one might expect, a little more substantial and will work well with heartier red meats or stewed white meats, but is cut from the same cloth.

The Sangiovese from Montepulciano is a bit softer, and one has the impression that the summer is longer and hotter there than in Chianti Classico; the acidity is less marked and there is a sweeter softness to the tannins too, which are rounder and slightly more balsamic.

Finally, the Sangiovese from Montalcino is more powerful and more austere: it displays a rocky solidity, coupled with considerable intensity; the glass of 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva seemed powerful when I first sipped it, but after sipping the 2005 Brunello it seemed considerably lighter and more ductile. In terms of accompaniments, the Brunello is clearly for important occasions; it will work best with hearty roasts such as leg of lamb or roast beef or tenderloin cooked rare, and will also work well with game, or hearty elegant stews. If you like the combination of aged firm cheeses such as Parmigiano or Bitto and dry red wines, will also work very well there. Or, if you like to hold a conversation with a wine far from the meal Brunello is a fine choice, because it will capture and hold your attention.

In short, three different expressions of the same varietal, and though the wines I tasted are from three estates that are owned by the same group, the impressions can be extended in a general way to the Montalcino and Montepulciano Appellations. Chianti Classico, because of its size, is inherently more variable -- greater variety of terroirs, exposures, soil types and so on, but if one keeps this caveat in mind I think the generalization holds here too.

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.