Wine Tasting: Villa Le Corti - Great Wines of Tuscany (5th May 2001)
A superb opportunity to taste the best of Tuscany in the courtyard of a splendid villa south of Florence. More than eighty wineries showing some of their finest wines. There is no order to the tasting notes.
1998 Buonamico Vasario Bianco IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Colline Lucchesi & Montecarlo Table White
Pale. Subtle nose (Sauvignon?) with a trace of wood.
Very nicely balanced with herby, juicy fruit flavours and a touch of oak.
Drink now with food.
[I didn't cover many whites at this tasting, but this was the best of them anyway!]
1998 Capaccia, Podere Chianti Classico DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Very bright, even, pale strawberry red.
Mute nose with some strawberry and red berry fruit.
Medium to full-bodied, with in-yer-face berry fruits, a dash of lemon, nice balance and good length. Very good now and over the next 3 to 4 years with food.
1997 Capaccia, Podere Querciagrande IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Gorgeous deep crimson colour, viscous.
Still dumb on the nose, with lurking red and black berries.
Very full bodied, intense, with flavours of coffee, dark chocolate, bitter herbs, plums, tobacco and charred oak. Wonderful balance, with up-front acidity, and an incredibly long savoury finish.
Needs five years. Stunning.
1997 Cennatoio Inter Vineas Etrusco Sangiovese IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Deep red.
Heady plum and herb nose leading into a sweet, concentrated, rounded mouthful of mulberries, aniseed and oak. Perfectly integrated with juicy acids and a long, dryish tobacco and fruit finish.
Very good now (just) but will be even better in another few years.
1997 Cennatoio Inter Vineas Riserva Oro Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Deep and even colour with signs of maturity.
Tangy, developed nose of redcurrants and tomatoes.
Lovely, juicy, upfront flavour of raspberries and redcurrants, tangy tomatoes, herbs and a touch of leafy oak. Good acidity and a long, dry finish slightly dominated by bitter oak.
Very, very good now and over the next 3 to 4 years.
1998 Cerro Poggio Golo Merlot IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Opaque red with some pinking at the rim.
Super concentrated nose of liquorice and mint.
Intense, very full bodied with sweet, minty, herby, charcoal notes. Gorgeous, long, tomato and basil finish.
Perfectly balanced in a hefty boutique-Californian style, it could do with another 5/6 years but so good now that I can't see it lasting!
A Fine Wine.
1998 Corzano e Paterno I Tre Borri Chianti Riserva DOC
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Even red.
Heady but refined nose of red fruits, spice and oak.
Lovely flavours of mint and juicy redcurrants. Medium bodied and rounded with furry tannins and underpinning spicy oak.
Very, very good now.
1998 Corzano e Paterno Il Corzano IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Very deep red paling at rim.
Intense, concentrated nose - still undeveloped but lurking plum fruit.
Very young, with intense flavours of tomatoes and red fruits matched with peppery, leafy oak flavours. Hard tannins and a long finish.
Needs another 5 or 6 years - Superb!
1999 Guicciardini Strozzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOC
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table White
Rich golden colour but almost nothing on the nose!
Very dry, with flavours of orange peel subtly spiced with tangy oak. Very long orange finish with a faint prickle.
Very good now as an aperitif or with a salad.
1999 Le Pupille Poggiovalente Morellino di Scansano DOC
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Deep, intense purple/red, opaque almost to rim.
A stunning wine, from the first impact of the nose (red fruits and iron) through to the long, long, long finish. Sweet, intense and inky with flavours of blackcurrants, plums and mulberries layered with tobacco and bitter oak. Quite fierce tannins underneath all that fruit.
Utterly gorgeous now but it really needs another 10 years or so.
Fine Wine.
1999 Monsanto, Castello di Fabrizio Bianchi Chardonnay IGT
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table White
Very pale gold.
Subtle honeyed nose.
Gorgeous sweet quince and tropical fruit. Crisp, lovely length, subtle oak. Outstanding. Drink now.
1997 Monsanto, Castello di Il Poggio, Chianti Classico Riserva
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Deep colour with some browning at rim.
Cherries, tomatoes, herbs on the nose.
Medium bodied with an attack of lovely, sweet, rustic flavours. Inky and intense with charred oak, crisp acids and hard tannins. Sharp finish.
Needs a few years but I don't know if there is enough fruit to last.
1999 Monsanto, Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Fairly deep, bright red paling at rim.
Closed on the nose but some sour tomato aromas - not unpleasant.
Old fashioned Chianti - juicy cherry fruit with hard, bitter tannins and sour acidity.
Needs food, needs time.
Not bad but not very exciting either.
1998 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Deep, even red with some paling at rim.
Intense but not heavy, with very juicy, sweet black fruit, liquorice, chocolate and tangy wood. Very soft finish.
Very good now.
1999 Morisfarms Avvoltore Toscana IGT
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Very deep, almost opaque.
Sweet, thick and intense, with flavours and aromas of red fruits and soft, charred oak. Deep, long bitter-herb finish with a tannic bite.
Very good, but needs 4 to 5 years and food.
2000 Morisfarms Moris Morellino di Scansano DOC
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Deep, redder than the Avvoltore.
Interesting nose of sour fruits, old oak and a trace of sewer.
Medium bodied with rich, barnyardy, forest fruits, lots of acidity and heavily charred oak.
Lovely, complex, interesting wine that should probably be drunk now and over the next couple of years.
1998 Morisfarms Moris Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOC
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Pale, even red.
Light body, but intense liquorice and black fruit flavours with a touch of herb and bitter oak. Nice acidity, well balanced.
Good now, with food.
1999 Murelle Chardonnay IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Colline Lucchesi & Montecarlo Table White
Bright pale gold.
Ripe fruit on the nose with obvious oak.
Ripe and succulent, lots of new wood and plenty of alcohol. Decent, herb finish.
Easy and obvious, but good!
1999 Murelle Colline Lucchesi Sauvignon DOC
5th May 2001 Colline Lucchesi & Montecarlo Table White
Very pale gold.
Juicy and crisp with a touch of gooseberry and hay. Ripe, dry and balanced. Good now.
1998 Pasolini dall'Onda Le Macchie Chardonnay IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table White
Bright, even gold.
Ripe nose dominated by resiny wood.
Full bodied, rich and dry, with lots of resiny new wood, very crisp acids and a long dry finish.
Needs 3 or 4 years to meld, but will be very good.
1995 Pasolini dall'Onda Montoli Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Deep, mature red.
Wonderful, heady nose of herbs and leather with plenty of alcohol.
Medium bodied, with piercing red fruit flavours, bitter wood and herbs, and a long, long finish of aniseed and raspberries. Excellent balance.
Drinkable now but will last maybe another decade or more.
A fine wine.
1997 Pasolini dall'Onda ZanZanobi IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Deep red with a tawny touch at the rim.
Slightly corked sample, with a spoiled nose.
Intense and full bodied, with ripe fruit and a firm bite of tannin. Just starting to integrate but probably needs another decade.
Hard to tell with a corked sample, but probably a stunner.
1997 Petreto Bocciole IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
Even garnet.
The sample was slightly corked, but still impressive, with intense black fruits, good acidity and grippy tannins. Long, but still a bit green. Needs time.
1999 Petreto Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Pale, even strawberry red.
Subtle nose with some sour red fruits.
Medium bodied, with sweet and sour strawberry flavours. Quite high acidity.
Pleasant and easy, a well-made short term drinker.
1999 Petreto Pourriture Noble IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Dessert White
Pale orange/gold.
Quite simple, undeveloped, honeyed nose.
Deep and honeyed with some orange fruit, herbs and a trace of toffee. Excellent acid balance but a bit heavy on the charred oak.
Still very simple, but good - it should develop well with a few years.
1998 Poggerino Chianti Classico DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
[5% Merlot, 95% Sangiovese, 1 year in barrique]
Even strawberry red.
Very closed nose with faint traces of fruit.
Medium bodied and dry with juicy fruit and lovely bitter notes.
Very good, drink up.
1999 Poggerino Primamateria IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
[60% Sangiovese, 40% Merlot, new barriques 1 year]
Deep strawberry red.
Subtle nose with traces of sour fruit.
Surprisingly light but nicely balanced, with grippy tannins, herbs and a seasoning of oak. Long and dry, needs another 2 years.
Very good.
1997 Rocca di Castagnoli Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Deep bright red.
Soft, youthful nose of strawberries with a trace of wood.
Still undeveloped, with flavours of redcurrants and toasted oak. Dry tannins and a long finish.
Needs food and 3 to 4 years.
1997 Rocca di Castagnoli Poggio a'Frati Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
Slightly browner and paler than the Capraia, with a more integrated nose of oak and red fruits.
Big sour wine with red fruits, tannic teabag flavours and lots of acidity.
Leave it for ten years and hopefully someone else will have to drink it.
Old fashioned.
1998 Tenuta di Valgiano Cesari
5th May 2001 Colline Lucchesi & Montecarlo Table Red
[100% Sangiovese] Deep, even purple-red, almost opaque.
Mute nose with some sour red fruits.
Inky and closed with sweet vanilla flavours (American oak?), juicy cherry and mulberry fruit with an undertow of herbs and tobacco, bracing acidity and hard, green tannins.
Very good, probably needs 10 years.
1999 Tenuta di Valgiano Valgiano
5th May 2001 Colline Lucchesi & Montecarlo Table Red
[Don't know what this will be called - first vintage, unbottled cask sample - you saw it here first! 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 20% Syrah - the large proportion of French grapes isn't unusual, Napoleon left quite a mark on the area]
Deeply coloured with a young, unformed nose dominated by rasping raspberry fruits. Full bodied with a notably thick texture (this was towards the end of the tasting), mulberries and green herbs, dusty tannins, bitter (slightly stalky) oak, lots of alcohol and acidity, a very long, dry finish. A keeper, needing at least five years, but stunning.
2000 Terriccio, Castello del Con Vento Sauvignon Blanc IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table White
Very pale, bright. Subtle nose of herbs with a tang of piss. Crisp, juicy up-front fruit (grapefruit/quince). Rounded and dry with a faint rasp on the finish. Good, drink now.
1998 Volpaia, Castello di Balifico IGT Toscana
5th May 2001 Tuscany Table Red
[Just bottled, not yet released]
Deep, even red.
Plenty on the nose - layers of mint, herbs, mulberries, charcoal - wow!
Heavy and heady, with chewy, sweet and sour mulberry fruit, soft charred oak, tobacco and rasping acidity. Very firm tannins and very long finish.
Superb. Needs 5+ years.
1999 Volpaia, Castello di Chianti Classico DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
[Just bottled, not yet released]
Quite dark. Juicy, easy fruit (strawberries and herbs) with high acidity and quite stalky tannins.
Ok, interesting to see if it comes together with bottle age.
1998 Volpaia, Castello di Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
5th May 2001 Chianti Table Red
[Just bottled, not yet released]
Quite pale, even red.
Lovely concentrated nose of charred wood, mulberries and black berry fruits, herbs.
Rich, with quite high acidity and firm, furry tannins. Long and dry on the finish.
Will be very good, needs a few years though.