Our March wine focus is the birthplace of the Italian renaissance and Italy's most celebrated wine region, Tuscany. This month we'll also be featuring a white wine from Umbria. One of Italy's few landlocked areas, Umbria is one of Italy's smallest wine producing regions. Please join us this month in celebrating the wines of Tuscany and Umbria.
Practicing Organic. Made in the style of Provencal rosé. A dry, un-oaked, pale-pink wine with a compact structure, crunchy acidity, and focused fruit. Aromas and flavors of fresh strawberry, cranberry, fresh citrus, and peach. A creamy, silky, mouthfeel and a medium length finish. Beautifully balanced and highly drinkable. One of our favorite Rosé's.
Purchased as a hunting retreat by Raffaello Stianti in 1966, Castello di Volpaia emcompasses an 11th century fortified village in Radda-in-Chianti. Red berries and earth notes reveal themselves slowly, with perfumed violet nuances showing up on the palate. Firm but refined tannins hold it together. Ripe fruit and rich intensity pair well with pasta. Blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.
Practicing Organic. Vin Santo is Italy's greatest sweet wine. Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni will provide the 96 point tasting note. "The 2008 Vin Santo is fabulous. Rich, deep and exotically beautiful. Orange confit, burnt sugar, dried herbs, spice and caramel. If I had to pick only one bottle to demonstrate what Vin Santo is all about, it might very well be Isole e Olena's 2008, as it is a real reference-point of both excellence and pedigree," 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Practicing Organic. Defined by Cosimo III de Medici in 1716, Chianti Classico is the heart of the Chianti region. Its classico zone. Isole e Olena is led by the visionary Paolo de Marchi. De Marchi is a legend. His passion for the Sangiovese grape and his sustainable approach to farming has impacted the entire region. A dry, medium bodied, red wine. Complex flavors of fresh red cherry, strawberry, red plum, cranberry, leather and earth. Elegant and beautifully integrated tannins. An outstanding effort from one of Italy's iconic producers.
Practicing Organic. One of Tuscany's best Chardonnay's, this wine is made in a style consistent with Tuscany's warm Mediterranean climate. Rich and full bodied. Comparable to Russian River Chardonnay. The Wine Advocate's Italian wine expert, Monica Larner, will provide the 93 point tasting note, "The bouquet is redolent of apricot, tropical fruit, and honey. With a pure note of flinty minerality that always comes through in this wine," 93 Monica Larner, Wine Advocate.
Sustainably Farmed. The 2015 vintage in Montalcino is a modern classic. It may very well be the best vintage of the decade and will rival 2010 for the best vintage since 1997. The former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of the Wine Spectator, James Suckling, will provide the 95 point tasting note. "Very transparent red-plum and red-cherry aromas. Tightly strung tannins suspend rhubarb and hibiscus flavors in a hammock of gently weaving acidity."
Practicing Organic. Cepparello is a benchmark wine with a massive international reputation. One of the original Super Tuscans, it is the class of Antinori's "Tignanello", Fontodi's "Flaccianello", and Montevertine's "Le Pergole Torte". Italian wine expert, Antonio Galloni, will provide the 97 point tasting note. "Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuate the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don't miss it!" 97+ Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Practicing Organic. One of Italy's post-modern classics, Tenuta di Trinoro is a 100 point wine. A blend of 52% Merlot and 48% Cabernet Franc made in the image of Pomerol. Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni will provide the 100 point review. "The 2016 Trinoro is one of the most extraordinary wines I have ever tasted from Trinoro. Deep and silky, with exceptionally refined tannins and exquisite balance. Dark raspberry jam and dark chocolate are all finely knit in this sublime and beautiful wine. Mind-bending intensity and persistence," 100 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.
Practicing Organic. An estate of great renown led by Andrea Franchetti. "Le Cupole" is the second wine of the estate and a wonderful introduction to this outstanding producer. A Bordeaux blend of 60% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot. The grapes are picked late, usually in early November. A rich and concentrated style with flavors of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, and black plum. Seamlessly integrated French oak adds texture and a spicy complexity. A thrilling and beautifully rendered wine!
Practicing Organic. A dry, un-oaked, white wine. Light bodied and 'mineral' with a taut, linear, structure. The flavors are crisp and clearly defined: white peach, apricot, fresh herbs, and white flowers. A creamy texture and a medium length finish.
This Bordeaux style blend of 59% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot opens with earthy aromas of charred earth, toasted oak, and ripe dark-skinned fruit. The dense palate offers prune, tobacco, and mocha alongside fine grained tannins.
Elegant, bright ruby red and very fully bodied. Inviting,multi-layered nose with lots of black currants and elderberries. On the palate a lot of harmony and tightly woven tannins. Long velvety finish. 93pts Robert Parker
Sagrantino is a native varietal of Umbria, which, according to some, was brought to the region by Franciscan monks centuries ago. In the last 30 years, Sagrantino has enjoyed a resurgence in Umbria. Rich in tannins and polyphenols. Colpetrone takes extensive care in the cultivation of Sagrantino in order to produce an elegant, balanced wine. Intense ruby red color. Ample nose of red fruit with spices and subtle hint of vanilla, dried fruits and chocolate. On the palate, it is full, well-structured and has close-grained tannins. Let this wine's tilled earth, leather and cassis aromas emerge in your glass.
Practicing Organic. An estate of great renown led by Andrea Franchetti. "Le Cupole" is the second wine of the estate and a wonderful introduction to this outstanding producer. A Bordeaux blend of 60% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot. The grapes are picked late, usually in early November. A rich and concentrated style with flavors of blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, and black plum. Seamlessly integrated French oak adds texture and a spicy complexity. A thrilling and beautifully rendered wine!
Organic. A tiny 4 hectare property, Cerbaiona is one of Montalcino's most revered estates. The vineyards were planted in the late 1970's with cuttings from Biondi-Santi. Cerbaiona captures the elegance of cooler northern Montalcino with the ripeness and fruit concentration of southern Montalcino. The Rosso di Montalcino is comparable in quality to many Brunello. A must try for Brunello fans who are not familiar with this estate. Intense and clearly defined flavors of red currant, red cherry, and red plum balanced by ripe tannins and seamlessly integrated oak. Gorgeous!
Certified Organic. An ancient property producing some of Brunello's most sought after wines. The former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of the Wine Spectator, James Suckling, will provide the 98 point tasting note. "Extremely perfumed and decadent with dried flowers, spices, fresh mushrooms and cherry. Full bodied with a solid core of fruit, and beautifully crafted tannins. Goes on for minutes," 98 James Suckling.
Practicing Organic. Campo di Tenaglia is a 0.8 hectare (2 acre) vineyard planted to Cabernet Franc. A rich and concentrated style which has more in common with Bolgheri than Bordeaux. In his 95 point review, Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni described Tenaglia as "explosive, dark and inviting, with tons of black cherry, blackberry jam, gravel, smoke, licorice and dark chocolate. A wine of brooding power and gravitas."
Practicing Organic. Vin Santo is Italy's greatest sweet wine. Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni will provide the 96 point tasting note. "The 2008 Vin Santo is fabulous. Rich, deep and exotically beautiful. Orange confit, burnt sugar, dried herbs, spice and caramel. If I had to pick only one bottle to demonstrate what Vin Santo is all about, it might very well be Isole e Olena's 2008, as it is a real reference-point of both excellence and pedigree," 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.