20/03/2017, 23:15Travel Curious Often - New Vintage Releases in Tuscany for 2017

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TCO Guide toChampagne: The Region

& Its Bubbly

Life in the Bubble withBollinger, Salon &

Selosse

20/03/2017, 23:15Travel Curious Often - New Vintage Releases in Tuscany for 2017

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Michèle Shah, CEO of Michel Shah SRL

Tuscany evokes a Renaissance landscape,gourmet food and wine as no other region does. Itsrolling hills, clad with vines, olives and cypresstrees are just a part of the attraction which draws ahuge number of discerning travellers and wineconnoisseurs to the area. Its history, traditions andculture extend to magnificent cities, medieval hilltopvillages and endless hamlets scattered around atimeless countryside, which encompass Italy’sheartland. Its picturesque farmhouses, castles andmonasteries are very often home to some of the topwine estates.

Toscana is one of Italy’s premium wine producingregions. A visit must include the classic areas suchas Chianti Calssico docg, Brunello di Montalcinodocg, Nobile di Montepulciano docg and SanGimignano docg, all of which lie between theRenaissance towns of Siena and Florence and theirscenic country roads. The choice of wineries to visitis infinite and Chianti Classico docg is a goodstarting point: the area can easily be reached fromeither Siena or Florence. Its territory encompassesthe original Chianti docg villages of Radda, Gaiole,Castellina, Greve and Panzano, favoured for theirexcellent terroir.

Marked by its very diverse terrain and its manymicroclimates Tuscany offers a range of differentstyles of wine, even within the same grape variety,the predominant red grape Sangiovese, which isthe main variety to be found in the appellationareas listed under the docg (denominazione diorigine controllata e garantita) and doc(denominazione di origine controllata) labelling. Thename Sangiovese originates from the term sanguedi Giove – the blood of the ancient god Jove, whichgives an idea to the importance allocated to the

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gives an idea to the importance allocated to thevariety and the wine.

Anteprime Toscane (en-primeur tastings) is thescenario of the annual vintage release tastings forthe Tuscan appellations, at which time professionaltastings are set up for press and trade to draw theirconclusions on the new vintages to be released tothe market. These tastings, which take place on anannual basis in mid-February, involve a tour ofTuscany’s classic appellations, including the Chiantidocg area and all the subzones, as well as themore classic areas such as Chianti Classico docg;Nobile di Montepulciano docg and the king of themall Brunello di Montalcino docg. All these wines aredominated by the main Tuscan grape which is theSangiovese. There is only one appellation in themidst of this sea of reds which is Tuscany’s mostimportant white appellation, Vernaccia, grown to thebeautiful area of San Gimignano.

Chianti docg remains the nucleus of Tuscanviniculture, still the most voluminous of Italy’sclassified wines and the most prominent expressionof the noble Sangiovese vine that dominates theregion’s reds. The Chianti docg and doc appellationalone includes some 3.000 vintners and 15.500 haof vineyards in the provinces of Arezzo, Firenze,Pistoia, Pisa, Prato and Siena.

Regular Chianti docg was showing its vintage 2016which was to all effects a good vintage, whileChianti Classico docg was showing vintage 2015which is a super vintage, according to many

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which is a super vintage, according to manyvintners it is considered one of the best vintagesover the last few decades.

Chianti docg is not the only protagonist ofSangiovese. Its stage is shared with the majesticBrunello di Montalcino docg made from 100%Sangiovese and the impressive Vino Nobile diMontepulciano docg made from a blend of 70%(minimum) Sangiovese and a remaining 30% otherred grapes of the area which can include nativevarieties such as Canaiolo and Colorino as well as“international” varieties like Cabernet Sauvignonand Merlot and at times a small percentage ofSyrah.

Chianti Classico docg requires a minimum of 80%(minimum) Sangiovese and the remaining 20% oflocal and international red varietals grown in theappellation. Chianti Classico docg with 280producers is divided into different sub-zonesamounting to 70,000 hectares and 7.300 ha ofregistered Chianti Classico vineyards whichincludes the entire territories of the communes ofCastellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve inChianti and Radda in Chianti and parts of those ofBarberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga,Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa andTavarnelle Val di Pesa.

“Vintage 2015 is easily the vintage of the century sofar. The weather was perfect – nothing was inexcess,” said Filippo Mazzei owner of Castello diFonterutoli in Chianti Classico. “It was never toohot, we had good humidity in spring and a coolerAugust, which was good because June and Julywere hot. The quality of the wines is extraordinary.”Vintners were certainly over the top about this

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Vintners were certainly over the top about thisvintage praising it as the best vintage they haveseen in the past 50 years and one of age-worthyquality.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione docg a newcategory of Chianti Classico introduced with vintage2014 is a special category for wines made withgrapes from a single vineyard or the estate’s bestgrapes and is aged for 30 months including three inbottle. A wine to show the excellence and potentialof the region, generating a lot of curiosity from thepress and the trade, yet still to be fully understoodby consumers.

Going further south we come to Montepulciano, aprime example of Tuscany’s most beautifulmedieval hilltop towns and home to the Nobile diMontepulciano docg which is also based onSangiovese, here called ‘Prugnolo Gentile’,however similar to Chianti Classico docg, 30%addition of local varietals such as Mammolo,Canaiolo and Colorino are allowed, as well as theoption of adding international varietals such asMerlot, Cabernet and others grown to the region.This year’s vintage release is the 2014. A verydifficult vintage due to adverse climatic conditionsduring the growing season, showing harsh andunripe tannins. Not all producers were able to comeout with a five-star vintage, in fact it has beendeclared a three-star vintage, but in some casesobviously, some producers did better and someworse.

Montalcino’s beautiful hilltop town lies 564 metresabove sea level and offers spectacular views overthe Orcia valley. Brunello di Montalcino isTuscany’s most famous docg the region’s boldestexpression of Sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino islocated 40 kilometres south of Siena with the hilltoptown of Montalcino as its epicentre. Its territoryincludes over 250 producers; 24.000 ha of landnaturally delimited by the Orcia, Asso and Ombronevalleys of which 2.100ha of Brunello di Montalcionodocg vines and 510ha of the second wine, Rosso diMontalcino doc. Brunello is the local name for theSangiovese Grosso clone from which Brunello diMontalcino should be made in purezza (meaning inpurity – 100% Sangiovese) and released on the

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purity – 100% Sangiovese) and released on themarket five years after its vintage.

Brunello di Montalcino docg vintage 2012 is verygood vintage, with some notes in common with thelegendary vintage 2010 which was praisedthroughout Italy as one of its top vintages over thelast fifty years and difficult to beat. Vintage 2012was a hot vintage and those vintners who managedbest their vines made some impressive wines withbeautiful aromas, vibrant fruit, lively acidity, andultra-fine tannins and a pleasure to drink.

San Gimignano notable for its high towers similar tomediaeval sky-scrapers, dominating thesurrounding countryside is home to Tuscany’ssmall, but noteworthy production of white Vernacciadi San Gimignano docg wine. It’s 12.500 haincludes some 5.600 had of farming land dividedamong olive oil production, cereals and vines, thelatter planted to 720ha of vines of Vernaccia SanGimignano docg. Over recent years Vernaccia hasimproved its quality and today emerges as a whitewine of distinct character among its bordering redwine territories. It is characterised by a pale strawyellow hue with golden highlights that become moreevident with ageing. The aromas are fine anddelicate, with fruity and floral scents, especiallywhen the wine is young. As it matures and ages –because Vernaccia can age very well – it developsthe characteristic mineral scent of flint, developinginto a dry, harmonious and savoury flavoured wine.

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This year’s vintage release was the Vernaccia diSan Gimignano docg 2016, by all esteemed a greatvintage, especially for whites where we find healthygrapes, thanks to the dry, ventilated weather thatcharacterized the summer, producing balancedwines, perfectly “in line” with the sensorialcharacteristics of the variety.

Each year the town of San Gimignano in the middleof June hosts its ever-popular Medieval Festival,which is known locally as the ‘Ferie delle Messi’,featuring a true taste of medieval Italy, withjousting, juggling and all kinds of acrobatics. Juneand August San Gimignano’s Summer MusicFestival features a number of concerts, musicevents, ballet and theatrical performances.

Similar Medieval festivals are also staged inMontepulciano’s Bravio delle Botti, a challengingcompetition in which heavy wooden wine barrelsare pushed up the steep cobbled narrow streets asfar as the finish line which is right in front of thebeautiful Duomo in Piazza Grande. The mostfamous and historic competition of all is Siena’sCorsa del Palio, a bareback horse race firstrecorded in 1283 and today one of Tuscany’s mostfamous events staged in the Campo, in the heart ofSiena, held on the 2nd July and 16th August.

Whether it be fashion, art, music, wine or goodfood, Tuscany is simply a must destination!

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My pick of new releases – listed are the namesof the wineries:

Vernaccia di San Gimignano docg 2016CesaniFattoria Poggio AlloroLa LastraIl Palagione MontenidoliTenute Le Calcinaie

Chianti Classico docg 2015Castello di FonterutoliCastello di MonsantoBarone RicasoliBadia a ColtibuonoFattoria San Giusto aRentennanoFontodIsole e Olena

Nobile di Montepulciano docg 2014RomeoVilla Sant’AnnaAvignonesiBoscarelliContucci

Brunello di Montalcino docg 2012Col’D’OrciaCupanoFuligniLe ChiusePoggio AnticoGianni Brunelli – Le Chiuse di SottoLisiniMastrojanniPoggio di SottoSalvioniSestiAltesinoArgiano

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TCO Guide to Champagne:The Region & Its Bubbly

Michèle Shah is a marketing consultant, and awine critic based in Italy for over 30 years,specialized in promoting Italian wines and ‘Food’ toexport markets. Additionally, she is the originator ofthe innovative B2B formula registered underSpeedtasting®. Since 2002 she has beenconsulting to the Italian wine trade, selectinginternational wine buyers and organising tastingevents and workshops held at Italian trade events,such as Vinitaly Italy’s most important wine tradeshow; Winett in Venice, Maremmawineshire, PortoCervo Wine Festival; Grandi Langhe Event, allaimed at presenting Italian wines and theirproducing regions to international wine importersand buyers.

For over ten years Michèle Shah has beenorganizing on behalf of Italy’s regional consorzio’s,wine tastings, seminars and educationals on Italianwine and its regions of production for internationalpress and international wine buyers.

CURIOUS & THIRSTY FEATURE

TUSCANY

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The Region & Its Bubbly

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