Tuscany Tasting at Dorchester
/1 March, Tuesday
Tuscany tasting at Dorchester, London.
Chianti Classico DOCG 2008, Fabbri
Located in Greve in Chianti. Hillside terrace-plantings, small yields. Experimenting with rootstocks. 20 months in oak, new and used. Gorgeous, loved it. Also tried the Sangiovese (80%)/Merlot (20%) 2008. Unoaked. Well-made, focused, uncomplicated but lacking any real personality. The Canniolo-blend 2008 was clean, fresh, a bit herbaceous.
L’Attesa Toscana Rosso IGT 2007, I Podero di Poggialgallo
Located in Montepulciano, purchased in 2002. Sweet (alc. 14%), boring, unbalanced, green tannins. Their Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2008 with Sangiovese, Colorino … had a closed nose that day, palate spicy and fresh, good finish. Rosso de Montepulciano 2009 with Colorino, Mammolo, Ciliegolo, 13% alc…fresh, elegant, fluid, but a bit boring.
Morellino di Scansano DOC 2007, Roccapesta
Located in Maremma, southern Tuscany, along the coast. Completely different soils here. Enjoyed this. Solid nose: clean, fresh, spicy, chocolate. Good acidity, fluid on the mouth. The 2008 had a few green tannins.
Sammartino Chianti DOCG 2008, San Martino Carpignone
15/25 hectares planted with vines in Florentine hills between Florence and Siena. 100% Sangiovese. Not overwhelmed - French oak – old and new. Gorgeous, fresh, balanced, vibrant. Clean, long finish.
Poggio alle Ripe DOCG 2006
Maturing well, elegant and powerful. Well-made. A touch of amerture on the finish.
Il Guido Chianti Montespertoli DOCG 2008, Tenuta Barbadoro
Sangiovese with a small amount of Merlot – can detect it. An easy-going, tasty wine but a green and bitter finish.
Toscana Domizio IGT Toscana 2008, Tenuta Barbadoro
Sangiovese 100%. Better, but still a bit green.
Auramaris Maremma Toscana Vermentino IGT 2010, Val di Toro
Another Maremma tenuta – near Grosseto. Planted in 2004 by Maria Cruciata and Hugh Constable Maxwell. Not bad. Nice acidity, salty-minerality. Fresh. But a bit too sweet. Finish is good and solid and clean.
Reviresco Maremma Toscana Sangiovese IGT 2009, Val di Toro
Again, refreshing acidity, good structure. Simple and straight-forward. No more.
Val di Toro 2008, Val di Toro
70% Sangiovese / 30% Montepulciano. Well-made, although a little thin. Nice lively, peppery palate.
Dardo Toscana Sangiovese IGT 2009, Vignemastre
Sangiovese 85%, Syrah 10% and Merlot 5%. Interesting guy. Wanting to do a value for money, well-balanced wine: screw-caps, no wood barrels (used micro-oxygenation to age). It is clean and relatively focused, but taste is too medicinal. Fruit is too forward – cherry bon-bon style.
Tiratori Rosso di Toscana IGT 2008, Villa La Ripa
Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah. Delicious. Well-balanced. Nice salty nose, fresh, mineral, and lively yet fluid and elegant palate with solid, ripe fruit. Good extracts. A well-made, grown-up wine.
Psycho Rosso di Toscana IGT 2008, Villa La Ripa
50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. The CS dominates the nose: too herbaceous. Sorts itself out on the palate, which is fresh and lively. 13.5% alcohol. Also tried their Sangiovese 100% - their basic wine – was superb. Better than the Psycho.