Morellino di
Scansano: Tuscany’s Hidden Gem
Medium-bodied and medium-priced red wines that are great for summer barbecues
Reviewed by Dwight
Casimere, May 9, 2013
Photo gallery by
Dwight Casimere
additional photos by Dan Taylor and Ric Magliano
additional photos by Dan Taylor and Ric Magliano
NEW YORK—The Astor
Center, in the revitalized downtown NoHo neighborhood, was the setting for the
discovery of one of Tuscany’s hidden gems, the Morellino di Scansano wine
district of Italy.
The wines arrived in the U.S.just in time for the summer barbecue season, because they are medium bodied red wines that go great with a steak or other grilled meats. Easy on the palate and the pocketbook, they are like a trip to one of the greatest, yet undiscovered parts of Tuscany.
Dwight The Wine Doctor-Livin' large in the Big Apple with Morellino di Scansano wine!
Luca Scotto with his Tore del Moro Reserve from Santa Lucia winery
The wines of Fattoria Le Pupille by Elisabetta Geppetti
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Roland Buchheim pouring his Tomasso wine from Poggio Nibbiale
The sumptuous buffet of Italian salumi and local Italian cheeses, olive and condiments
Arancia (little oranges)-a popular Italian dumpling made from fried chickpea dough stuffed with herbed rice
Poggio Valente 2009 wine from Fattoria Le Pupille
The wines arrived in the U.S.just in time for the summer barbecue season, because they are medium bodied red wines that go great with a steak or other grilled meats. Easy on the palate and the pocketbook, they are like a trip to one of the greatest, yet undiscovered parts of Tuscany.
Located in one of the most natural and uncontaminated areas of Tuscany, along the southern coastal region known as the Tuscan Maremma, wine production has been traced by archeologists back to the days of the ancient Etruscans in the fifth century, B.C. The region became a recognized DOCG (Demoninazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita starting with the 2007 harvest, attesting to its exceptional level of quality at every level of wine production. Comprised of 100 % Sangiovese grapes, this superior designation of the wine of Morellini di Scansano attests to its intrinsic qualities and international renown.
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This bright red,
juicy wine is unique to all of Tuscany. It has the intense flavor of ripened cherries
and the distinct presence of spices, even among the wines that are not barrel
aged. The finesse and balance of the wines make them perfect with a variety of
Italian inspired dishes. What's even better, the wines are all in that comfortable $12-$20 price range, making them, not only affordable, but a terrific value when you balance the price against the incredible flavor profiles.
The Astor Center
debut presentation was part of the Third U.S. Tour of the Consortio Tutela
Morellino di Scansano and featured a guided tasting and lecture by Gregory Dal
Piaz, Editor-in-Chief of Snooth.com, followed by a walk-around tasting and
Grand Buffet. This in-depth presentation was not only informative, but a delight
to the senses.
“The Maremma is
particularly significant because it has some of the most varied terrain in all
of Tuscany. Vineyards stretch from the highest hilltops down to the sea,” Dal
Piaz stated. The wines tasted at both the seminar and walk-around tasting
attested to the variety in flavor and texture that he alluded to. In addition,
several of the winemakers were present to personally describe their wines.
Although made from the same grape, Sangiovese, the flagship
grape of the region, The wines presented were as varied in taste and
temperament as the personalities of the winemakers. Each had their own
distinctive style of winemaking that put their personal stamp on these
beautiful wines that displayed the multi-faceted face of the wines of western
Tuscany.
Wines are made in a
variety of methods, some using organic grapes, others are aged in French oak
barrels, giving them a plush mouthfeel and deeper concentration of flavor.
Others are fermented using native natural yeasts, which add further complexity.
By law, the wines must contain at least 85% Sangiovese grapes, but winemakers
have the opportunity to enhance them with other varieties and many of them use
this as an opportunity to introduce other, unique local grapes, such as
Cillegiolo, which had been resurrected from near-extinction. International
grapes, such as Cabernet and Merlot, also find their way into the mix, giving
the wines an elegant characteristic.
Santa Lucia winery
began in 1980. The winery began making its Moerellino di Scansano wines in
1997, starting with its first release, A Luciano. The winery then began producing
Tore del More and Tore del Moro Reserva, which it presented at the Astor Center
tasting. Luca Scotto is the marketing director. “My father founded the winery
in 1980, and my brother has been the winemaker since 1999. “We think the wines of the Morellino
are perfect for the United States. The wine is easy to drink and it goes great
with food. It has a natural fruitiness and a smoothness in the mouth that is
perfect for the American palate. For those who like variety, we have many types
of Morellino. For example, we make a wine that is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and
the rest Alicante. Alicante is a very particular grape because it gives the
wine a real depth of color. It also is a special fruit that gives the wine a
really bright smell and fruity flavor that is really unique!
“The Tore del Moro
Reserva is easy to drink too, but it’s a little more complex, It has a little
smell of oak on the nose, because its aged 4 to 6 months in small barrels and
then its aged 6 months in the bottle.
“The nice thing
about Morellino, is that you can drink it without food, or with an appetizer at
Happy Hour (spoken like a true Marketing Director!). “The first selection, Tore
del Moro, is perfect with pasta. Particularly pasta with wild boar (white
pork), which is a real local specialty from Tuscany and the Maremma, where we
are located. Then, with the Reserva, what’s perfect is a beefsteak, deboned.
That’s the perfect suggestion!”
Poggioi Valente 2009
is the wine of Fattoria Le Pupille and its creator and owner Elisabetta
Geppetti. Her son, Ettore Rizzi is the winemaker and was personally present at
the Astor Center to pour her wines.
“Today we have two wines; the Vase and the Reserva. The Vase’ is a
really fresh wine, juicy, made from 85% Sangiovese, the rest is a collection of
red, fruity grapes such as Cillegiolo and Alicante. The wine is aged only in
stainless steel. There is no use of oak barrique. The reserva is aged 15 months
in barriques, but the fermentation is all done in stainless steel. It’s all
single vineyard, a vineyard of about 15 hectare (about 35 acres). These are the original vineyards, which
my mother planted at the estate in 2000.
“This wine has a
very special taste that is uniquely Italian. I would recommend the Vase’ with
pasta and a really rich, strong Ragu’ (Red meat sauce). With the Reserva, I
would recommend a thick steak. It really has flavors that will clean your mouth
out from the fat of the meat.”
Another terrific
wine featured at the symposium and tasting was Tommaso from Poggio Nibbiale,
the creation of Dr. Nikolaus Buchheim. He is a real anomaly because he is a
German winemaker living in Italy. His son Roland, was on hand to opour the wine.
“We are producing two types of
Morellino di Scansano; all red wines that are only produced with organic
cultivation. It’s not certified. But we don’t use any artificial herbicides or
pesticides or chemical fertilizers. For the fermentation, we don’t use
exogenous yeast , so we just hope
that the ambient yeast that occurs naturally on the surface of the grapes will
do the job.”
Most people don’t
associate Germans with Italian winemaking, but Roland has a ready answer. “My
parents didn’t really start out to be winemakers, but they had a passion about
wine. Fifteen years ago, the bought a place in the Maremma and planted some
vines. Before, there was nothing there.”
The flavor of the
Morellino wine is truly unique, lending itself to a variety of cuisines, Roland
emphasized. “The wine itself has a pronounced flavor of red cherries, but it
also has some flavors of “white” fruits and berries as well, which gives it an
unusual finesse. The Reserve is a bit more refined than the other one. It also
has some undertones of vanilla and tobacco, which gives it the added edge of
going with some different things, even some spicier foods.
So what food would you have with the wine I pressed the young wine maven. “I think a really good steak would be best with it. But, for myself. I live in Berlin and I’m always having dreams of Italy. So I quite often make a pesto with fresh Basil and serve it over pasta and have it with the wine. It’s really a terrific combination. I think the Basil Pesto goes quite well with it. It’s almost like a little journey to Italy when I do that!”
Massi di Mandorlala
Reserva 2008 was presented by importer Mario Pippa of Decanto-Wines for Life of
New York (www.decantowines.com). He brought an
array of superior examples of the Morellino di Scansano and was quite effusive
in his eloquent descriptions. “ This is truly wine that puts breath to life,”
he said, gushing over his exquisite Massi di Madorlala. The almost inky black
color of the wine belied its black cherry flavor and accompanying notes of
black currants, anise and hints of dried sage, oregano and hints of Madagascar
vanilla, cedar and hints of tobacco and dark chocolate. This is a rich full
wine that borders on some of the rich flavors you’d find in a Port. What goes
with it? “Steak!” Mario said without hesitation. “I’ve also got a terrific
recipe for meat lasagna that I’d like you to try.” From the way Mario was
clutching the bottle, it seemed that he was reluctant to part with it, even
though he’s in the business of selling wine. If it’s that good, I must have
some at my next meal. What a great
thought to have at the end of a fabulous day of wine tasting. ABBONDANZA!
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