Tuscan Super Saturday
Tuscany is a magical place. Many a heart has been stolen in the late afternoon light gazing across the rolling hills dotted with olive trees, vineyards and ancient villages. The wines too are remarkable and idiosyncratic to this special place.
Here sangiovese is king, but every valley and hillside showcases it with a new personality from the myriad of subzones in Chianti, with their bright cherry fruits, fresh acidity and sappy tannins, to the deep and powerful Brunello wines from Montalcino to the underappreciated Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It’s not all sangiovese though here you will find everything from cabernet to vermentino and cornucopia of indigenous varietals.
Tuscany is one of a handful of wine regions capable of delivering a lifetime of enjoyment from within its borders. So if you have only dipped your toe in, I would encourage you to jump in with both feet and fall in love with the bountiful array of wines that there are to discover.
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Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia 2017Extremely floral, with cut violets, black cherries and blueberries, following through to a medium to full body with firm tannins and tangy acidity, Merlot and cabernet sauvignon. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better in a couple of years. JAMES SUCKLING2017sangioveseItaly495$135.00 As low as $121.50 -
San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2018Ruby red with first garnet reflections. Intense, fine bouquet - preserved cherries, rosehip, cinnamon, a hint of oriental spices and the typical slate minerality of the site. Dense and silky on the palate, with a remarkably integrated tannin structure for this vintage. The finesse carries. The finish - long, savoury, salty - is the silent argument in favour of Le Lucére 2018: elegance that gets to the point. SUPERIORE
The 2018 is the most elegant and effortlessly balanced wine I have tasted from this estate. It opens with attractive scents of cinnamon, violets and rosemary and has an impressive concentration of wild berry flavours, but is not heavy. The integrated acidity gives the wine the right support, and the tannins are long and fine, adding texture and shape. The best is yet to come. MICHAELA MORRIS, decanter.com
Le Lucére, the usual expression of the substance that characterises the wines of San Filippo, in a vintage that displays a beautiful opulence. Notes of Vignola cherries on the nose, a hint of rhubarb and undergrowth, with a finish of wild mint. Juicy tannins in the mouth, with a return of fruit and undergrowth. LUCA GARDINI
Already complex and open, with aromas of slate, dried rosemary, grilled sage, lemon peel, sour cherries and cardamom. Smooth and full-bodied with supple and fine tannins. I like the undertones of olive pits and herbs. Powerful, mineral finish. Try after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING2018sangioveseItaly495