First, let me extend many thanks to those who gave me advice about wineries in Umbria and Marche.
As a wine tour the trip was only a partial success. We deliberately kept down the number of winery visits to two in Tuscany and one each in Umbria and Marche. Having driven from Brussels and continuing on to Rome, we wished to minimise fatiguing driving at our various way-points and relax in the autumn sun enjoying temperatures peaking at some 28° (82°F).
At only one of the wineries, Adanti near Montefalco, did we have that contact with the wine-growing family which I so prize in my visits to French (except Bordeaux) and German growers.
The Tuscan winery scene at the more famous estates seems to be developing towards a well oiled touristic machine on the Napa valley model. At Castello di Fonterutoli, tastings take place at an “enoteca” near the main road and I could not find the castello itself. The tastings themselves are smoothly conducted by English speaking hostesses who serve quite generous measures from nitrogen preserved, temperature controlled bottles. A charge of EUR 1 per measure was advertised but mine was rebated against modest purchases. More thorough tours are advertised for a fee but I doubt strongly whether a member of the Mazzei family or management person participates. Villa Vignamaggio where I stayed two years ago was similar but with less professional tasting facilities and no fee as far as I can recall. Fontodi is somewhat more intimate and benefited from the presence of a management person: and again no fee.
In the Marche, my choice fell upon Antonio Terni’s Le Terrazze and I made an appointment by E-mail. However when I appeared at the appointed time, the gate to the winery was padlocked and neither ringing the bell at the house nor phoning produced a response. I was about to leave when a helpful winery worker appeared; he had no more luck than me in rousing Mr.Terni but he did produce a helpfully disposed management person who spoke fair English (certainly better than my Italian).
Italian wine villages overflow with “enoteche”, the best of which are sorts of comprehensive selling museums of the local wines. Coming from Northern Europe where main-street independent wine merchants and even chains are a dying breed, this is most refreshing even though I question how they can make a viable living. The Enoteca del Chianti Classico Gallo Nero at Greve in Chianti and Enoteca Azzurra in Numana (Marche) are particularly remarkable.
In Italian restaurants wine prices remain reasonable. I did not see any mark-ups which exceeded 50% over prices in the “enoteche”; this compares very favourably with mark-ups of 200% which are common North and West of the Alps.
Now to the wines themselves but first an apology. I took comprehensive notes but at the wineries and also in restaurants but somewhere towards the end of the trip I lost the notebook possibly at Le Terrazze. As a result the tasting notes are only general impressions from memory and the details of the wines consumed at the restaurants may be sketchy but my memory of details of the wineries’ offerings has being refreshed by visiting their web sites.
ISOLE E OLENA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2004. A very elegant medium weight wine with fine tobacco notes (wood?) in its aroma and attractive cherry aromas but somehow a bit sweet seeming and not very Chianti in character, lacking that acidic edge which I love in young Chianti. More reminiscent of a cross between Burgundy and northern Rhône. Very good wine though. (Consumed at the excellent Albergaccio di Castellina restaurant at Castellina in Chianti with pigeon).
TENUTA FONTODI at Panzano.
CHIANTI CLASSICO 2004. Elegant and fruity but much more savoury and typically Chianti than previous. Very good.
CHIANTI CLASSICO VIGNA DEL SORBO RISERVA 2001. More structure, more “gras”, longer than previous and finely balanced. Will benefit from more time. Fine+. (I think that I also tasted 2003 – heavier and less elegant).
FLACCIANELLO DELLA PIEVE 2003. More of a blockbuster than the previous but adequate acidity and well balanced. Impressive and fine.
Disappointingly the Sauvignon and Pinot blanc white, the Case Via Pinot Nero and the Case Via Syrah were not available for tasting and sale. Fine olive oil in a very peppery style.
FATTORIA DI FELSINA CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2001. Drinking beautifully now with good structure, fruit and length but has enough stuffing to hang on and perhaps improve. Fine. (Consumed with a pizza).
CASTELLARE DI CASTELLINA CHIANTI CLASSICO 2004. Nice and fruity but perhaps more one dimensional than any of previous. Good. (Consumed with a wild boar stew).
CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI at Castellina in Chianti loc.Fonterutoli.
First at all the wines produced by the Mazzei family at TENUTA BELGUARDO in the Maremma were presented.
SERRATA DI BELGUARDO 2004 IGT. A blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A very attractively fruity wine with similar tobacco aromas to the I e O Chianti Classico. I was assured that this saw no new wood. Very good.
MORELLINO DI SCANSANO BRONZONE 2004. Sangiovese 90%, Alicante Nero 10%. Like a slightly fatter and more structured Chianti. Fine.
TENUTA BELGUARDO 2003. Cabernet Sauvignon with some Sangiovese (up to 30%). An impressive and beautifully balanced wine. Fine+.
And now for the wines of the Castello itself.
POGGIO ALLA BADIOLA 2004.Sangiovese and Merlot. Attractively fruity. Good+
CHIANTI CLASSICO FONTERUTOLI 2004. An elegant and well structured Chianti. Very good+.
CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI 2001. A strongly structured and beautifully balanced Chianti with the authentic tang of a great Tuscan wine. Will improve further. Very fine. (Some 10% Cabernet sauvignon).
CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA CASTELLO DI FONTERUTOLI 2003. Heavier and more alcoholic version of the previous but showing a remarkable freshness for that torrid. Needs more time or strong food to tame the tannins. Fine.
SIEPI 2003. Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 50%. Soft and fat seeming compared to the previous due to the Merlot but fine+ in its own way. I prefer the more authentic accent and rigour of the wines with a higher percentage of Sangiovese.
There is no doubt that the wines of the Mazzei family show great class. They are, however, very fully priced. Some EUR 60+ for Siepi and EUR 36 for Cast. di Fonterutoli compared with EUR 23 for Felsina’s Rancia at the Greve enoteca.
And now to Umbria.
AZIENDA AGRICOLA ADANTI at Bevagna loc.Arquata
I chose this winery for visit because from various reports it seemed to be an uncomplicated traditional producer and this turned out to be a correct perception. The wines are generous on the palate and beautifully balanced without excessive up-front fruit and obtrusive wood flavours. I was greeted by the family father who turned out to have started his career as a tailor including a spell in Paris and consequently spoke good French so communication was no problem. He was a little reserved at first but soon warmed up and showed an impish sense of humour.
ARQUATA MONTEFALCO BIANCO 2005. Grechetto, Trebbiano and Chardonnay. Pleasant but somewhat bland and hollow in the middle. Fair.
ARQUATA GRECHETTO COLLI MARTANI 2005. Much more character than previous with good freshness and firm middle. Good+
ARQUATA MONTEFALCO ROSSO 2004. Fresh, fruity with good “gras” and nice savoury tang; A good food wine. Good++
ARQUATA ROSSO DELL’UMBRIA 2001. Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is the estate’s special baby. A beautifully full bodied, fruity and already approachable wine. Very good/fine.
ARQUATA MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO 2001. My first experience, I think, of Sagrantino. Quite different and much more austere than the previous. Full bodied with firm tannic structure. Still somewhat closed but with perceptible complexity of aroma including spices and tar. Cries out for strong food right now and really needs more time. Fine+
(A glass of Sagrantino ordered for lunch by my wife at a wine bar in the Montefalco main piazza was quite different; up-front spicy soft sweet fruit tasting almost as if it came from Sicily. Incidentally the head-waiter at this bar is a candidate for the prize for the rudest in Italy.)
ARQUATA MONTEFALCO SAGRANTINO PASSITO 2002. A fascinating sweet wine enhanced by the dignified austerity of Sagrantino with complex aromas. Fine.
An altogether excellent range and I look forward to deepening my appreciation of these wines by drinking them with suitable food at home. Also an elegant and delicate olive oil suitable for enhancing plainly cooked fresh fish.
As in all wine towns in Italy, there was a well stocked enoteca in the Montefalco piazza. Here I tried to buy bottles of Caprai and Bea for comparative purposes. There was no problem with the former but the shop-keeper volubly dismissed my request for Bea saying that he had none because it was the dregs and, furthermore, ridiculously expensive (my Italian is not good enough to pick up more detail).
We then continued on to Rome to visit our daughter.
POGGIO LE VOLPI FRASCATI SUPERIORE EPOS (I think 2004). An originally flavoured fruity wine in which Gambero Rosso finds « aromas of peach and yellow skinned apples with hints of verbena ». Very good. (Consumed at the excellent fish restaurant Da Romolo al Porto overlooking the port at Anzio).
UMANI RONCHI VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI (I think Sup. Casal di Serra 02). A very good/fine Verdicchio with « gras », hints of sweet tenderness and good freshness. (Consumed with turbot at the good Trastevere restaurant Paris).
After Rome, we crossed over the Appenines and stopped off in the Conero region near Ancona.
GIOACCHINO GAROFOLI VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI SUP. PODIUM (I think 04). I liked this less than the previous. Same hints of sweet tenderness but, for me, over-perfumed with hot bitter finish. Might appeal to the pointy people. Fair/good. (Consumed with fish at the Montconero hotel).
LA MONACESCA VERDICCHIO DI MATELICA (I think 05). Firmer, leaner and more invigorating than the two previous. A very good seafood wine but not crisp enough for oysters. (Consumed with mussels in pasta and the swordfish and our feet close to the Adriatic at an altogether delightfully situated restaurant Da Emilia at Portonovo on the spectacular Conero Riviera.)
BUCCI VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI SUPERIORE 2004. Similar to the Umani Ronchi but a bit leaner with perhaps more finesse. Very good/fine. (Consumed upon return home with cod, spinach and a simplified “beurre blanc” sauce.)
FATTORIA LE TERRAZZE at Numana
ROSSO CONERO 2004. Montepulciano (I was prevented from adding “d’Abruzzo” by my host). An attractively fruity and savoury wine with good structure and full of character. Very good.
ROSSO CONERO SASSI NERI 2003. Montepulciano. Much more depth, tannic structure and complexity than previous and still managing to keep good freshness in spite of the torrid year. Should benefit from more time
CHAOS 2003 (50% Montepulciano, 25% Merlot, 25% Syrah) and PLANET WAVES 2002 (75% Montepulciano, 25% Merlot). I am sorry but I cannot separate my recollections of these. Similarly to Siepi, they were both smoother and fatter than the wine from the indigenous grape. In face of Gambero Rosso’s three glasses and suspected 90+points elsewhere, dare I say that Merlot and, in the case of Chaos, Syrah have dummed down the wines? Anyway I took away one bottle of each, as well as several bottles of both Rosso Coneros, and should be able to arrive at a fairer assessment with food.
The Le Cave Chardonnay and the olive oil were both sold out. Overall the impression here is of classy wines with a smooth patina which probably attenuates to some extent their local character. On this showing I share the view that the Montepulciano grape is capable is making top class and characterful wine in the Conero region as well as in Abruzzo as I know from La Valentina and Masciarelli. For comparative purpose I purchased bottles of the top cuvées of Umani Ronchi and Moroder from Enoteca Azzura.