A Twist On The Super Tuscan Recipe

San Felice is an Italian wine estate situated a half hour from Siena, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. Their flagship wine, Vigorello, has grown and matured along with the winery. It started off in 1968, as a 100% Sangiovese wine. It was the first wine from Tuscany to incorporate international wine grapes, making Vigorello the first Super Tuscan wine. 

Today, Vigorello is crafted from 35% Pugnitello grapes, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Pugnitello is a grape native to Tuscany. Once thought to be Montepulciano, but DNA research showed that it is its own grape. Pugnitello languished almost forgotten for years before being resurrected by studies at the University of Florence. 

The grapes sprouted early in the 2018 vintage for San Felice. A warm March and April were followed by a rainy May and the usual mix of heat and showers for the summer. September brought about sunny days and cool nights, which helped the grapes along to their proper maturity.

The fruit was vinified and aged for 24 months in French oak barriques, then aged another eight months in the bottle. Alcohol tips 14% abv while the wine retails for around $60.

Vigorello is a dark wine, allowing almost no light to pass through it. The nose holds a savory shield over the fruit aromas of plum, blackberry and raspberry. The palate is a complete joy - full of dark fruit which is colored by a rustic earthiness. The wine isn’t afraid to flex its muscles. The tannins are firm, but fine. That, plus the refreshing acidity, makes for a wine which is literally made for the dinner table.

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A Tuscan Delight - Piaggia Carmignano Riserva

The winery's name is Piaggia, and the wine is the Carmignano Riserva 2017.  The Carmignano DOCG requires that red wines have at least 50% Sangiovese grapes in their makeup.  This one has 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot.  The area's wine quality has been held in high regard for centuries, something the Medici family took great pride in.  England's Queen Anne reportedly placed orders for the Carmignano wines.

Mauro Vannucci bought the property in the 1970s and began releasing wines in the '90s.  The land now spans five Tuscan vineyards.  Mauro's daughter, Silvia now owns the estate.

The Piaggia Carmignano Riserva underwent full malolactic fermentation, was aged in French oak barriques for 18 months and stood another six months after bottling.  The alcohol content is 14.5% abv and the wine usually sells for around $43.

This Carmignano DOCG wine marries Sangiovese and Bordeaux grapes like they were made for one another.  Medium dark in the glass, the wine shows a bright cherry aroma, which turns into black cherry over time, as tar and smoke gather on the nose.  The palate continues the dark theme, with a savory coat hung on the shoulders of the black fruit.  The acidity is fresh, while the tannins provide plenty of power to take down beef, the fattier the better. 

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Two From Tuscany IGT

Tenuta Monteti Toscana IGT 2016

Tenuta Monteti was founded in 1998 by Gemma and Paolo Baratta in the southern Maremma area of Tuscany.  The couple returned to wine after having been in the business in their youth.  The estate was named for the Monteti hill, which protects it from the strong Mediterranean winds.  

They built from the ground up, starting from scratch with vines of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Alicante Bouschet grapes.  The IGT Toscana classification allows them the freedom to choose the grapes they want to grow.  Consulting oenologist Carlo Ferrini has been with them from the beginning, and now their daughter Eva is in her second decade of running the show with her husband Javier Pedrazzini.  The vineyards are managed in sustainable fashion, and they have the government certificate to prove it.

Monteti, their flagship wine, is a blend of 40 to 55% Petit Verdot, 25 to 30% Cabernet Franc and 15 to 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The percentages varying from vintage to vintage.  The wine is aged for 18 months in medium-toasted French oak barriques, 70% of which are new, followed by another two years in the bottle.  They say the Petit Verdot is the personality of the wine, "the rebel horse," while the Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure and longevity.  The Cabernet Franc provides an elegance which softens both.  Alcohol sits at 14.5% abv and the Monteti has averaged through the years at a price of $36.

This wine carries a dark ruby color and a nose of dark fruit, blueberries and blackberries mostly.  There are also aromas of mocha, white pepper and oak spice to be found.  The palate displays the blueberry flavor, and a lip-smacking acidity which really feels refreshing.  It feels a touch light in the mouth, despite having spent a year and a half in oak.  The tannins are firm but not overwhelming - there is plenty there to work on a steak, a rack of lamb or a pasta dish with meat sauce - or a mushroom risotto, for that matter.

Caiarossa Aria di Caiarossa 2016

The Caiarossa company logo is an Etruscan clay head of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, dating from the fourth century B.C.  The winery's story dates back only as far as 1998.  In 2004 the estate was bought by Eric Albada Jelgersma, who brought with him the experience of creating wines in two Grand Cru vineyards in the Margaux neck of the Bordeaux woods, Château Giscours and Château du Tertre.

Caiarossa is located near the Tuscany coast, in the southern part of the Province of Pisa.  The vineyards are biodynamic and certified organic, and winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini is charged not only with making the juice, but also with cask selection.

The 2016 Aria di Caiarossa is an IGT Toscano Rosso wine made from the noble grapes Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine was fermented in concrete tanks, then aged for 14 months in 15% new wood barriques and tonneaux, then back into the concrete for six months before being bottled.  Alcohol is 14% abv and the average cost of a bottle is about $30.

This dark wine has fruit aromas to match - blackberries, currant, black cherry - and I love the way those smells power past the oak effect.  The oak has indeed left its mark, with vanilla, cedar, tobacco and a hint of tar on the nose.  The palate shows vibrant fruit and earthy notes, with a healthy dose of tannic strength and a racy acidity.  I'm having it with chicken Dijonnaise, but thinking of a pork chop to pair with it.

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Napa "Super Tuscan" Blend

Castello di Amorosa is a Napa Valley wine attraction. Not only do they make some really stunning wines there, but they disguise their facility as a castle. Actually, it is a castle, a real one from Italy reassembled stone by stone in another land of vines far away. Getting thrown in the dungeon there isn't really a very good punishment. That's where I hear they keep the wine.

The back label declares La Castellana to mean "the wife of the Lord and Master of the castle," who is responsible - among other things - for putting a great bottle of wine on the table. When wine is made at the castle, it's not that difficult to do. "Hmm. This one has my name on it. We shall have it tonight!" It’s an Italian knockoff, even wearing the name Super Tuscan, owing to its makeup of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sangiovese and 9% Merlot.

The dark 2012 La Castellana Super Tuscan Napa Valley Red Wine - very dark - has aromas to match. The gorgeous nose wafts up from the glass with so much to offer, you might miss the beautiful black plum and blueberry notes. There’s also a hatful of spice and coffee and mocha and vanilla rising. Oh, and don't forget the tobacco and the little smear of tar that drags it all into savory land. On the palate, big, bold fruit blasts forward in a hail of tannins. Be sure to let it air out a good while and have some big, bold, red meat standing by to give those angry tannins something to work on. The blackberry flavors are most pronounced, but they wear a cedar-tinged cloak which is lined with a rack of spices. This is a steakhouse wine, to be sure. An Italian steakhouse. In the Napa Valley.


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