Tuscan Super Saturday Sydney
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 -
Le Cinciole Cinciorosso 2020From the fanatical attention to his biodynamic principals (which pre-date most in the area) to his commitment to all things sustainable - a solar farm here, a passive house there. He doesn't offer any of this information with bombastic bluster, he and his partner Valeria Vigano, mention them in passing with understatement and humility. All this is starting to get me itchy to taste the wines because, there's lots of sustainably run estates in the world these days who make mediocre juice, so I'm hoping Le Cinciole the excitement from the vineyard translates to the wines. They certainly do, they are brilliant!!
Sangiovese (70%), Merlot and Syrah. Ripe, crunchy fruit, red currants a touch of black cherry, red plums and a little white pepper spice sprinkled throughout. Lush fruits lead you in with their sweet embrace while the whole thing stays super fresh. Soft, supple tannins add real interest and give it a lovely backbone. At once completely smashable and serious enough to keep die hard Tuscan red fans very happy.2020sangioveseItaly495$39.00 As low as $35.10 -
Le Cinciole Petresco 2018The 2018 Petresco is another stellar wine from Le Cinciole. Bright and focused, with striking explosive energy, Petresco sizzles with tension. Black cherry, coffee, spice, leather, incense, lavender and plum all run through a linear, driving pure Sangiovese that is going to need at least a few years to come together. There is a ton of potential here, but readers need to be patient. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI2018sangioveseItaly495$160.00 As low as $144.00 -
Duemani Cifra 2020The 2020 Cifra is a fabulous introduction to this range from Luca D'Attoma and Elena Celli. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and mocha all grace this exquisite, mid-weight Cabernet Franc. ANTONIO GALLONI
Lots of gorgeous blackberry and blueberry character with round, caressing tannins, vivid acidity and freshness. Lots of bright fruit and very pure character. JAMES SUCKLING
Wonderfully mid weight, fragrant, perfumed, spiced, fruitful wine where the slightly gritty tannins tell a story that is both varietal and regional. As does the more savoury elements and those just slightly herbaceous notes that will make any Cab Franc fan smile and anyone who loves Crifra positively beam, that is the sales pitch here. This is a wine of pure pleasure, serious, yeah, but that isn't really important here. For me it is all about enjoyment with Crifra and if you love to eat and drink then this needs to be in your life. Drinking this with the right food will decrease your stress and stress is a killer, so, drinking Cifra will help you live longer. A veritable ambrosia. ROSCOE
2020Cabernet FrancItaly495$85.00