Montepulciano, Montalcino, and Bolgheri!

Tuscany Part Two

Sangiovese along with its variants Sangiovese Grosso and Prugnolo Gentile is the heart of Tuscan wine making. We continue our tour with two of its more classier parcels, then head out to the coast to Bolgheri where Cab, Merlot, and Syrah play a leading role.

Montepulciano

2016 Svetoni Rosso di Montepulciano  $14
95% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino
A good value Rosso with dry cherry notes and a tea and leather finish.  An old school Sangi.

2018 Della Seta Rosso Di Montepulciano  $16
Sangiovese
Ripe red-berry and fragrant blue-flower aromas lead the nose while the juicy savory palate offers crushed raspberry, wild cherry and baking-spice notes. It’s already accessible, with supple tannins

2018 Nottola Rosso di Montepulciano  $17
85% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Merlot.
Aromas of resin, crushed herb and red plum lead the nose. The subdued palate seems evolved in terms of fruit richness, offering a suggestion of dried cherry and clove alongside dusty tannins.

2015 Il Conventino Vino Nobile di Montepulciano  $33
80% Sangiovese, 15% Colorino, Canaiolo, and Mammolo
A quality Nobile this wine has a refined bouquet of violet, iris and baking spices. The palate delivers a core of dark cherry and raspberry flavors with white pepper and a hint of herbs. It’s elegant, with a bright, silky palate and nice length.  Organic

2013 Riello Delle Balze Vino Nobile di Montepuciano Reserva  $20
Vino Nobile di Montepuciano Riserva aged for 24 months in oak barrels, the wine has a persistent red berry and spice notes. On the palate is sapid full and soft with a perfect amalgam of tannins and acidity. A wine with great structure and layers.

2011 Nottola Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Reserva  $29
80% Prugnolo Gentile, 20% other red varietals.
Full-bodied aromas that have hints of ripe fruit, splashes of spices, coffee and touches of violet.  Rich taste and well-balanced with a dose of elegant tannins that linger.

Montalcino

2017 Camigliano Rosso di Montalcino  $20
Sangiovese
The vintage has developed frank, clean, fragrant aromas. There’s good blue fruit to this with violets, bilberries and spices. Medium body, undertones of fresh citrus and a medium-chewy finish with a strong acidic shoulder that guarantees a long aging.  Organic

2014 Sassetti Livio Rosso di Montalcino  $21
Lots of earth and richness to this rosso with plums, mushrooms, violets and dark fruit. Full body with soft, velvety tannins and a long finish. This is masterful Rosso. From one of the top producers of Brunello.  92 pts James Suckling.  Was $30 now $21

2012 Uggiano Brunello de Montalcino  $45
Sangiovese
Charred soil, espresso, used leather and game aromas carry over to the lean, firm palate, joined by dried black cherry and licorice flavors. The wine finishes abruptly, steeped in raspy tannins.

2013 Il Poggione, Brunello di Montalcino  $45
Sangiovese
This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint.   96pts Parker.  Was $60 now $45

2011 Fossacolle Brunello de Montalino  $50
Its color is intense ruby and the aromas are of mature fruits, sustained in the palate by great complexity. The tannins are noteworthy, silky and oily, persistent. A wine of optimal equilibrium, elegance and complexity, it will increase its bouquet after a moderate time in bottle.

2013 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino  $50
Sangiovese
“The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is elegant, balanced and bright. The pretty luminosity of the wine’s appearance helps to underline this positive impression. The bouquet is nuanced and layered with dried fruit aromas that segue to spice, tar and balsam herb. You get sassy aromas of licorice, tar and cola on the close.”—94pts Parker

2010 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino  $74
Sangiovese
Offers terrific aromas of strawberry, currant and medicinal herbs, revealing hints of anise, tobacco and earth, all backed by a firm, vibrant structure. Stays focused and long, with a succulent finish. Best from 2019 through 2036. — 95pts Wine Spectator

Super Tuscans

2016 Erik Banti Carato  $15
60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet, 20% Merlot
This mini Super Tuscan is a Sangiovese-based blend from the Tuscan coast that tastes like it should cost much more because of its full, smooth, flavorful palate presence and excellent balance. This is bright, clean and savory with loads of sweet berries and ripe cherries and a dusting of roasted herb

2016 Carpineto Dogajolo Red  $13
80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
A young “Super-Tuscan”, Dogajolo was named after the Italian word doga, meaning “stave” — the narrow strips of wood used to form oak casks. The wine is fresh and forward with a fruity and fragrant bouquet, along with some long-lasting flavors of dark berry and spice.

2017 Petra Zingari Toscana  $13
25% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Syrah, 25% Petit Verdot
This little super Tuscan made Wine Spectator’s top 100 in 2019.  A well of dark cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit makes this red sumptuous and inviting. Fresh earth, thyme and rosemary accents add depth. A mineral element emerges on the long finish. Shows fine balance overall.

2018 Baracchi O’ Lillo!  $15
25% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah
From Cortona, the O’ Lillo has a fruity nose of cherry and blackcurrant. Pleasant and light notes of black pepper, tobacco and forest floor. Easyto drink, fresh, full body and soft tannins. Fruity aftertaste. A very fresh and drinkable blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The grapes are vinified separately in stainless steel vats to preserve all their fruity notes and drinkability. Their union gives different characteristics to the final wine.  Was $20 now $15

2016 Poggio al Tesoro Il Seggio  $29
40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
Bordeaux meets Bolgheri!  There is a lot of meat on the bones of the 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Il Seggio. The wine opens to spice and bramble with dark fruit nuances, surrounded by thick layers of spice, tobacco, tar and resin. This wine offers a specific and unique mouthful that is full and dense but also creamy and luscious. It makes a particularly glossy or shiny impact in terms of mouthfeel.

2017 Terre Del Marchesato Emilio Primo  $30
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah
This Super Tuscan gives similar Washington blends a run for the money.  Intense ruby red color with a nice density in the glass. Red fruits, vanilla, spices and pepper notes are sensed. A nice note of roasting and powdered coffee. There is a fresh note like the fruit of chinotto and tamarind. Good acidity with a nice sapidity. Clear but velvety tannins. Excellent structure.

2016 Gaja Ca’ Marcanda Promis  $52
55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, 10% Sangiovese
Aromas of dark berries, licorice and sandalwood following through to medium to full body with firm tannins. A juicy and delicious finish.

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