September
6, 2005
Famous
Super Tuscans
In This Issue
A
Note from Sergio
The Tuscan hills are known for their great beauty and wines.
Here, noble Sangiovese displays her brilliance and numerous
personalities through the various strains that have adapted
to individual vineyards and microclimates. When blended with
complementary grapes she is capable of framing superb wines
which seem more familiar to non-Italian wine drinkers. Conquering
armies such as Napoleon's are responsible for bringing international
varietals to Italy, but it wasn't until 1942 that their presence
set the stage for Toscana's wine renaissance. That is when
Italy's first relevant traveling enologist, Tancredi Biondi
Santi, helped Mario Incisa della Rocchetta plant Cabernet
Sauvignon at his Tenuta San Guido estate a few miles from
the coast.
In 1968, Mario's cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet
Franc was named Sassicaia and changed the course of Italian
wine. While tradition is Italy's strength, it's important
to recognize that it has always welcomed change, and Italians'
taste preferences have always evolved. After all, Nebbiolo
of Barolo was used primarily to create a sweeter wine until
it was altered by Louis Oudart in the 1840s, and the preferred
wine of Montalcino during the 16th century was the dry Vermiglio,
which later lost favor to the sweet Moscadelletto. The efforts
of Tancredi and Mario, though pioneering, were also a part
of the constant evolution of Italian wine that is necessary
but which suffers abuse at the hands of less scrupulous
winemakers. Building on the success of the pioneering "Super"
vini da tavola, Bolgheri and the rest of Toscana experienced
a proliferation of international varietals. Even those who
respect and uphold tradition opened the door to change when
wines like Tignanello in 1971, Solaia in 1978, Grattamacco
Rosso in 1982, Sammarco in 1980, Guado al Tasso in 1990,
and Vigna d'Alceo in 1996 charted the course for Toscana's
success. While I tend to prefer monovarietal wines and the
efforts of men like Sergio Manetti (of Montevertine), the
blends featured here are among the best Italy has to offer
and are mandatory staples for any enthusiast's cellar.
Please note that many of today's featured wines are available
in very limited quantities. Read on below to learn more
about these important blends. Should you have additional
questions or if you would like to purchase the wines, contact
a Portfolio Manager at 212.473.2323.
My best,
Sergio
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Castello
dei Rampolla
The cellars of the Rampolla winery, near Panzano in the heart
of the Classico, or historical, production zone for Chianti,
date back to the 13th century. Since 1739 the Di Napoli family
has owned and managed this legendary wine house. The estate
is a classic Tuscan farmhouse operation situated on 128 hectares
of calcareous soil about 360 meters above sea level. The vineyards
are ideal for Sangiovese, which achieves particular vigor
and potential for long aging. Today, current owners Luca and
Maurizia, the children of Alceo Di Napoli, carry on their
father's legacy of hand-crafted wines. In a move to take their
father's philosophy one step further, they have begun to convert
the estate to 100% biodynamic farming and vine-tending (only
35 hectares of their property are under vine). The family
combines this approach in the vineyard with its modern, well-equipped
cellars to produce world-class wines in collaboration with
internationally renowned enologist Giacomo Tachis.
Vigna d'Alceo
Introduced in 1996 in homage to their beloved father, Vigna
d'Alceo (or "Alceo’s Vineyard") has won
the coveted Tre Bicchieri Gambero Rosso award with every
vintage. Alceo's children make roughly 20,000 bottles per
year of this late-September harvest blend of Cabernet Sauvignon
(around 85%) and Petit Verdot (15%). The grapes for this
cru wine are grown exclusively in the Alceo vineyard located
in Greve, one of the five original townships for the production
of Chianti. Saturated ruby-purple with a tiny clear rim.
Graphite, blackberry, cassis, and maraschino cherries on
the deep, potent nose. Black fruits, plum preserves, sweet
oak, and licorice permeate the palate. Succulent and juicy,
with abundant glycerin, round tannins, sufficient supporting
acidity, and a lengthy finish.
Castello
dei Rampolla 2003 Vigna d'Alceo $179.00
Castello dei Rampolla 2000 Vigna d'Alceo $185.00
Castello dei Rampolla 1997 Vigna d'Alceo $229.00
Sammarco
Only 30,000 bottles are made of this hand-crafted 95% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 5% Sangiovese Super Tuscan blend. Saturated ruby
streaked with dark purple. Taut and closed in youthful concentration.
A stimulating bouquet of red plum, black currant, cigar
and lead pencil. The rich flavors lurking in the full-bodied
palate precisely reflect the nose and finish long with ripe
yet tongue-clenching tannins.
Special Note on the 1990
Garnet shades edge the medium ruby core. The 1990 has evolved
gracefully and now exhibits complex aromas of mixed berry
fruit, dried cranberry, and mineral. The fruit is gradually
turning leaner with time, evolving into secondary characteristics
of tobacco leaf, dried pine needles, and orange peel. Though
more austere than in its younger days, this wine still possesses
remarkable body and extract.
Castello
dei Rampolla 2000 Sammarco $82.00
Castello dei Rampolla 2000 Sammarco $164.00 (1.5L)
Castello dei Rampolla 1990 Sammarco $189.00
Castello dei Rampolla 1985 Sammarco $229.00
Castello dei Rampolla 1982 Sammarco $229.00
Click for more Super Tuscan producers!
Grattamacco
Piermario Meletti Cavallari has always been an enophile. He
was very content in his wine store in Bergamo but knew that
he had a further calling, so he set out to find a vineyard
that he could make his own. When he saw Grattamacco he knew
immediately that he had found the right place, so he settled
in and began producing wine. The 1982 Grattamacco was Cavallari's
debut, establishing him as one of the of the pillars of the
Super Tuscan movement (along with Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and
Tignanello). With the help of Claudio Tipa and consultant
Maurizio Castelli, this estate is now producing consistently
impressive Super Tuscans that are prized by collectors, but
a modest visage with no marketing keeps this star out of the
limelight and very reasonably priced.
Grattamacco
2000 Rosso $75.62
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese
changes from vintage to vintage. In 2000, the winemaker
used 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Sangiovese.
Deep ruby with garnet tones. Bold scents of jammy black
fruit lead into a meaty, earthy palate. Warm and intense,
with solid structure and a slow, graceful exit. Evocative,
opulent. Drink 2005-2010.
Grattamacco
2003 Bianco $37.40
Grattamacco's use of 100% Vermentino grapes for this wine
makes for a very round, medium-weight white. Critics often
cite Grattamacco's Bianco as one of Bolgheri's most "authentic"
whites, with the classic flavors and aromas of unmistakably
Tuscan Vermentino ever present. Intense straw-yellow in
color. Crisp and clean and filled with baking spices, pears,
and ripe summer peaches and apricots in the mouth, floral
notes on the nose (linden and lime tree). Drink now.
Click for another pillar of Bolgheri's Super Tuscan movement!
Antinori
- Tignanello & Solaia
Where Sassicaia opened the door for Italian wine, Marchese
Piero Antinori, with the guidance of Giacomo Tachis, kicked
it down with the introduction of Tignanello in 1971, Solaia
in 1978, and Guado al Tasso in 1990. The great merchant winemaker
believed it was wrong to imitate a Bordeaux wine; Italy can
make great wines with the noble varieties that have their
own special character. That is the premise of Antinori's wines.
While it is fair to say that the past 25 years best represent
the efforts of the Marchese and Antinori estate, especially
in the area of Super Tuscans, it should be noted that the
family legacy dates back to 1385 when his ancestors joined
the Florentine Guild of Vintners. This tradition is the
foundation of Piero's success and is applied in all his
efforts. Twenty-six generations later, these dynamic and
visionary producers of fine wines have acquired and developed
estates concentrated in Toscana's finest and most progressive
viticultural areas of Montalcino (Pian delle Vigne), Chianti
Classico (Tignanello, Badia a Passignano, Peppoli), and
Montepulciano (La Braccesca) and have expanded outside this
region to Umbria (Castello della Sala), Piemonte (Prunotto),
Puglia (Tormaresca), Hungary (Bataapati), Chile (Albis and
Albaclara), Washington (Col Solare), and California (Atlas
Peak) among many others.
Tignanello
This is the wine that rocked the world! Tenuta San Guido's
Sassicaia may have ignited the revolution, but Antinori's
Tignanello spread the word. Piero's goal was not to recreate
a Bordeaux style claret, but to show the versatility and
finesse that the noble Sangiovese can deliver; the result
was the second official Super Tuscan, which featured this
native varietal in the Cabernet-aided blend. It is the first
Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels and the first
modern red wine to include a non-traditional varietal. Tignanello
was also among the first wines in Chianti to be made without
any white grapes.
Influenced by the lead of Piero's uncle (the great Marchese
Mario Incisa della Rocchetta) and guided by Giacomo Tachis,
Tignanello made its grand entrance to the international
stage in 1971 and has only improved since. A blend of 80%
Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc,
this Super Tuscan is made only in good vintages from the
main vineyard of the Tignanello estate. The harvest here
is particularly late, and the grapes are processed very
gently to avoid damage. French oak is used for malolactic
fermentation and for a 14-month aging period, followed by
another full year of aging in the bottle before release.
Full and fruit-forward, Tignanello is a very complex wine.
With great structure, rich mouthfeel, and a long finish,
it certainly merited the Tre Bicchieri awards it has won
for five different vintages.
Antinori
2001 Tignanello $78.50
Antinori 1990 Tignanello $210.00
Antinori 1988 Tignanello $189.00
Antinori 1988 Tignanello $394.00 (1.5L)
Antinori 1985 Tignanello $239.00
Antinori 1985 Tignanello $449.00 (1.5L)
Antinori 1982 Tignanello $195.00
Solaia
It competes as Italy's most prestigious blend and is the
flagship wine of her best known producer. The golden child
of Piero Antinori and esteemed enologist Giacomo Tachis,
whose magic touch has graced Italy's most elite Super Tuscans
(including Sassicaia, Tignanello, Sammarco, and Argiano),
the wine started in 1978 as a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc and grew in 1982 to include Sangiovese.
The grapes used to make this "sunny one" are grown
exclusively in the eponymous vineyard, a highly desirable
10-hectare patch of land on the Tignanello estate, which
is also home to the wine of the same name. The 1978 debut
was limited to its homeland, but once this life-changing
wine ventured out internationally, it enchanted wine enthusiasts
worldwide.
The individual varieties - 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20%
Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc - exhibit their unique
qualities yet meld seamlessly here, allowing the character
of the terroir to shine through. A fruit-forward wine with
impressive structure and balance, Solaia is supported by
velvety tannins and stretches into a long finish.
Antinori
2001 Solaia $164.91
Antinori 2000 Solaia $789.00 (3.0L)
Antinori 1990 Solaia $389.00
Antinori 1988 Solaia $269.00
Antinori 1982 Solaia $329.00
Click for Piero's brother Lodovico of Ornellaia!
Antinori
- Guado al Tasso
As with Angelo Gaja's Ca' Marcanda effort in the mid-nineties,
it was only a matter of time before this legendary producer
found a home for a red blend on the pioneering soil of Bolgheri.
He is in good company here with both his uncle's legendary
Tenuta San Guido estate and Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which his
brother founded and which is still pouring out the most sought-after
Merlot (Masseto) in all of Italy. Success clearly flows in
this man's blood, and the soils of Bolgheri are a natural
breeding ground for Antinori success.
The Guado al Tasso estate, or "Badger’s Ford"
- the name refers to a common sight in the region - is located
in the Bolgheri zone, where the estate was once known as
Tenuta Belvedere. The family estate goes back to the Antinoris
of the early thirties, but it wasn't until the 1990 debut
release of Guado al Tasso that it became a center of activity.
This blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and rounded
out by 30% Merlot and now 10% Syrah, resulting in a rich
color and a delightful balance of structure and softness
on the palate.
A ruby glints in the glass. Dark cherries with deep undertones
of charred coffee and dark chocolate. Velvety tannins support
eloquent structure and complexity, leading into a long finish.
Well worthy of its Tre Bicchieri awards for the 2000 and
2001 as well as the high rating from Robert Parker for the
1999 release.
Antinori
1999 Guado al Tasso $98.90
Click for Gaja's take on Bolgheri!
IWM
in Miami
Miami International Wine Fair
Featuring Sergio Esposito
James L. Knight International Center
Saturday, October 1, 2005
2:00-7:00pm
Florida’s largest wine trade show will return for
its fourth annual edition to the James L. Knight Center
in Downtown Miami during the first weekend of October. This
comprehensive program of sit-down tastings, wine dinners,
and a Grand Tasting attracted over 4,000 visitors last year
and included nearly 400 wineries from 19 countries. IWM’s
own Sergio Esposito will present a Revival of Classical
Italian Wines tasting (Oct. 1, 5-6pm), which will include
wines from Bea, Mascarello, and Quintarelli as well as the
obscure sweet wine from 1959, Solaria Jonica. Be sure to
stop by the IWM table at the Grand Tasting!
Visit the Miami Wine Fair website and click on "seminars"
for more on Sergio's Revival of Classical Italian Wines
tasting!
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