March 30, 2007
Sangiovese's Patriarchy
In This Issue
A Note from Sergio
When most people think of Sangiovese, they think of
magnificent Brunello.
But getting to the essence of this flexible grape
requires a little more exploration.
Sangiovese has been pushing its way through the
rocky Italian soil since Etruscan
times. It's the key to Chianti Classico, most Super-
Tuscans, Carmignano, Montepulciano's drinks, and
Morellino di Scansano, and it's spawned loads
of clones—Prugnolo, Sangioveto, and
Sangiovese Grosso among them. It's
Italy's most popular wine, pumped into billions of
bottles each year, and it
blankets the countryside, from Umbria to Le Marche.
But Sangiovese's true home is Toscana, where it
thrives on the rolling hills,
calmed by continuous cool breezes. Even there,
however, in such ideal
conditions, Sangiovese remains a difficult fruit to
master. It's a noble grape,
and its gentle, graceful character can easily be
crushed by an overzealous
producer who blends in too much of a deeper fruit.
Bordeaux-style wines, now
often associated with Super-Tuscans, largely
mask Sangiovese. Most producers
of Chianti, who are legally required to include 80%
Sangiovese (in Chianti
Classico, with the Chianti designation requiring
75%) in their wines, immediately
obscure its personality with Aglianico and
Primitivo. International
wines, appealing for their familiarity and ease,
frequently use Sangiovese
as a base, instantly muddling it with heavy Cabernet
or Merlot.
Today, in order to showcase the true spirit of the
varietal, I'm offering
an assortment of wines that let Sangiovese sing
above all other notes. Some
may be simple, everyday bottles and some may be
major collectibles, but they
are all made by Tuscan producers who, through craft,
restraint, and knowledge,
manage to expertly express both the sensual,
feminine nature of the grape and
the flavor of the soil from which it grew.
My Best,
Sergio
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Sangiovese Master
Azienda Agricola Montevertine
[ah-
tzee-EN-da ah-GREE-coh-la mon-teh-ver-TEE-nay]
Founded by Sergio Manetti in 1967 as a hobby,
Montevertine has passed far beyond the realm
of a
casual pastime and into Toscana’s upper
echelon, given Manetti’s devotion to
expressing the inherent quality of
Sangiovese. As he
believed in Sangiovese’s ability to
realize a
wine of
quality on a solo basis, Manetti
took issue with the attention lavished on the
Super-
Tuscan contingent. Moreover,
he also objected to the Chianti Classico
appellation’s criteria for aging and
permitted
grapes (prior to the change issued in 1996). He
believed that
the DOC’s efforts
to cultivate a wine of universal appeal
undermined
Sangiovese’s image,
implying that the grape’s nature
precluded its
expression as a single-varietal
wine. Upon withdrawing from the consortium in
1981,
Manetti undertook production
of various bottlings that honored his
conception of
Sangiovese, validating its
performance sans the use of the international
set and
introducing only minor
amounts of Canaiolo and Colorino for his Rosso
bottling. Manetti passed away
a few years ago, leaving the estate to his
son, Martino.
While some feared that
Martino would alter the profile of the wines,
he has
wholly adhered to his father’s
principles, providing wines that maintain
fidelity to
Sergio’s vision.
Montevertine 2003 Le Pergole Torte
[leh PER-go-ley TOR-teh]
A single-vineyard pure-varietal Sangiovese
bottling,
Le Pergole Torte was the
first of its kind to be produced in
Toscana. Crafted
exclusively in vintages
commensurate with its breeding (in a
limited case
production averaging 1,500 bottles), Le
Pergole Torte
undergoes an extensive maceration period ranging
from 25 to 30 days and is
aged in both barrique and
Slavonian oak for a period of 18 to 24
months. While
a wine of appreciable
intensity, its expression is restrained,
characterized
by a medium body and
fine-grained tannins. Le Pergole Torte has
long been
one of Sergio’s
personal favorites, and the 2001 has secured a
place in his cellar, given its demonstrative
potential for
aging. While he waits upon the '01's
pleasure, he may
turn to the 2003 and 2000 bottlings, which offer
greater approachability at present, with the
former
being the more expressive of the two.
Montevertine
2003 Le Pergole Torte $83.89
Montevertine 2001 Le Pergole Torte $795.00 (6.0L)
Montevertine 2001 Le Pergole Torte $1,790.00 (12.0L)
Montevertine 2000 Le Pergole Torte $1,972.00 (12.0L)
Montevertine 2002 Montevertine Rosso
While falling just shy of monovarietal
standing with the
minor addition of
Colorino, Montevertine captures the
signature style of
the estate. A minimum
of 90% Sangiovese, the Rosso is aged for 2
years in
Slavonian oak.
The 2002 bottling is of particular
significance, as
Manetti chose not to produce
Le Pergole Torte, declassifying its fruit
and using it
for the production of
the Rosso. This is a consummate example of a
producer overcoming a challenging
vintage to realize a bottling of unexpected
quality.
Montevertine
2002 Montevertine Rosso $37.13
Vino Nobile's Royalty
Il Macchione
[eel MA-kee-oh-neh]
As is the case with many wine regions,
Vino Nobile
di Montepulciano enjoyed
great renown in past centuries, only to
suffer the
pangs of mediocrity in
modern times. Though its present era was
subsidized by the demonstrative
emergence of Chianti and Brunello, the
areas it lies
between, Montepulciano’s
wines did not enjoy the attentions
lavished on those
of its neighbors. While it is still
overshadowed by the
other
two members of the Tuscan triumvirate,
it emerged from obscurity
through the efforts of a few producers
who were
committed to realizing Montepulciano’s
inherent potential through its native
identity, the core
of which is the
clone of Sangiovese known as
Prugnolo.
This strain
of Sangiovese presented
particular difficulties, given its
propensity toward
realizing both high
acidity and a substantive, austere tannic
structure.
Beginning in the 1980s
and 1990s, various efforts were
undertaken to
render a wine with a more accessible
disposition: new clones and alterations
in both
vinification and aging disciplines
enabled producers to achieve a wine that
was more
giving with respect to
its fruit expression.
Robert Kengelbacher, the producer behind Il
Macchione, spent four months
visiting the vineyards of California. It
was during this
time that he developed
many of his viticultural ideals, which he
substantiated with a practical
education in Waedenswil, Switzerland.
Eager to
apply what he had learned
to the crafting of Italian wines,
Kengelbacher
apprenticed himself to Franco
Bernabei (at Castello di Fonterutoli in
Chianti
Classico) for a few months,
and finally found a small estate he could
make his
own, Il Macchione in Montepulciano.
His vineyards comprise a mere four
hectares and
are situated
in the subzone of Le Caggiole;
a high altitude (400 meters) works in
concert with
the mildly argillous soil
to craft classic representations of
Sangiovese with
the ability to age.
Il Macchione 1999 Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano
[VEE-noh NOH-bee-ley
dee mon-teh-POOL-chee-ahno]
This rendition of Montepulciano is elegant and
perfumed, and represents
one of the region’s best offerings
of its
kind. It is a
structured wine possessing a taut acid
frame, capturing the distinctive nature of the
Prugnolo clone.
Il Macchione 1999
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano $38.50
Il Macchione 1998 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano $41.25
Il Macchione 1999 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
In order to receive the riserva
designation, the wine
must be aged for a
period of three years (six months of which must
be in bottle),
and
attain an alcohol of
13%. Hailing from an exceptional vintage, Il
Macchione’s riserva bottling
is a powerful rendition of Vino
Nobile—one
whose deep-reaching flavors
imply further elongation with cellar
time.
Il Macchione 1999
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva $49.50
Il Macchione 1999 Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano Riserva $107.25 (1.5L)
Structured Chianti
Castello di Cacchiano
[cah-STELL-oh dee cah-kee-AH-noh]
This historic estate has been in the
possession of
the Ricasoli-Firidolfi
family since the 11th century. Giovanni
Ricasoli-
Firidolfi currently heads
Castello di Cacchiano, having succeeded his
mother, Elisabetta Balbi Valier
(wife of Alberto Ricasoli-Firidolfi), who
instituted the
practice of estate
bottling in 1974. This measure of quality
control
honored the estate’s
significant history with wine production
and set the
stage for a new
phase in its viticultural
philosophy. Giovanni did not merely
enhance the
portfolio, as he sought to
pursue greater quality by refining
Cacchiano’s mission, primarily by
undertaking a nearly exclusive focus on
Chianti
Classico. He intensified this
highly specialized concentration by
crafting one
bottling per vintage. In
good vintages, this takes the name of
Chianti
Classico;
in years of excellent caliber, the wine
is designated
Millennio. (The estate also issues a
Rosso
Toscana bottling on an annual
basis.)
Unlike Sergio Manetti, therefore,
Giovanni sought to
craft a premier expression
of Sangiovese within the Chianti Classico
framework. (It is of interest to
note that his ancestor, the Baron Bettino
Ricasoli,
authored several formulas
for the crafting of Chianti. He conceived
of it as a
blended wine and advocated
the use of Canaiolo, a strategy that Manetti
rejected.) Giovanni
was not wholly conservative in his approach,
however. Although he did choose to eliminate the
estate’s Super-Tuscan bottling, RJ, he
did not object, as Manetti
did, to the blending of Sangiovese with
international
varietals. He is particularly
interested in Sangiovese’s dynamic
with
Merlot, and believes the most
effective blend is comprised of 85%
Sangiovese
and 15% Merlot.
Castello di Cacchiano 2004 Chianti
Classico
While the estate positions this bottling as
the issue of
good vintages,
it often makes an appearance in years
that go
beyond this qualitative state,
ensuring that the Millennio bottling
truly represents
vintages of the highest
caliber. This Chianti offers far more
structure than
the standard issue of
Chianti Classico, and represents a blend of
Sangiovese and Merlot. The fruit initially
takes center
stage in the 2004, with the Merlot
discernible in a
certain dimension of softness. Yet, the fruit
quickly
retreats backstage,
deferring to the Cacchiano's structured
backbone.
Castello di Cacchiano 2004 Chianti Classico $23.10
Castello di Cacchiano 2001 Chianti Classico
Riserva Millennio
As aforementioned, this bottling represents
this
estate in years of particularly
high quality and essentially serves as a
riserva,
though it is not technically
identified as such. The 2001 vintage
marks only the
second appearance of
Millennio since Giovanni began allowing
for its
potential appearance with
the 1996 vintage. The 2001 is a
well-structured,
muscular bottling that nevertheless conveys
striking
elegance.
Castello di Cacchiano 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva Millennio $25.50
Sangiovese Six-Pack
 Sangiovese:
it’s a familiar
name—perhaps just as well-known
as some of the international varieties
it’s
had such a complicated
relationship with. But its governing DOC
has done it
somewhat of a disservice by accommodating the
fancy of the market through various changes in
Sangiovese’s contribution to and partners
within the
Chianti
formula.
The producers featured herein, however, have
striven
to satisfy their conception
of Sangiovese, working in the best
interests of the
grape and maintaining its integrity by getting to
know intimately how it responds to and
interacts
with the various elements
comprising the terroir concerned. In so
doing, they
have satisfied their
conception of Sangiovese—one that is
rooted in an understanding of
what this grape offers rather than what it
doesn’t.
Sangiovese Six-Pack Includes:
Montevertine 2003 Le Pergole Torte
Montevertine 2002 Montevertine Rosso
Il Macchione 1999 Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano
Il Macchione 1999 Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano
Riserva
Castello di Cacchiano 2004 Chianti
Classico
Castello di Cacchiano 2001 Chianti Classico
Riserva Millennio
Sangiovese
Styles Six-Pack...$257.12*
*Free delivery in Manahattan.
New Saturday Seminar: Sparklers & Dessert Wines
Italian Sparklers & Dessert Wines
Saturday, April 7, 1:00–3:00 p.m.,
$50.00
While many look to France for sparkling
selections
given the cachet of its
signature bottlings, Italy nurtures a
notable rapport
with sparklers, as
they feature in everyday affairs. In fact,
nearly all of Italy’s
regions produce sparkling wine,
offering a vast
array of styles testifying
to the Boot’s facility with bubbles.
Lombardia and Piemonte craft méthode
champenoise; the Veneto delivers
its signature
Prosecco, the traditional
opening to an Italian meal; and other
areas, such
as Sicilia, employ their
indigenous varietals, adding their
signature to
Italy’s starry set.
Italy also has a sweet side that not very
many are
aware of, frequently expressing
this dimension of its persona through a
sparkling
medium. Piemonte’s
Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti
technically fall into the sparkling
category, but it enters the parting scene
through
Brachetto d’Acqui,
a red that may be either still or
sparkling. The
Veneto’s Recioto della
Valpolicella takes us back to the
“original
Amarone,” the decadent
elixir imbibed by the Romans, while
Toscana’s Vin Santo ends things
on a note of intensity, seeming to have
an affinity
with the spirit world.
The tasting includes:
Education provided by an IWM
sommelier
Tasting Booklet (proprietary
producer notes and a recipe)
Spiegelau Prosecco/Champagne glass to keep
following the tasting
Sampling of regional foods prepared by
IWM chefs
paired with each wine tasted
To make a reservation via phone:
Contact Michann Thompson at 212.473.2323,
x106, to
reserve your space, or to learn more about
IWM's new
Studio Regionale Saturday Tasting Series.
Click to Reserve Your Space in the Sparklers & Dessert Wines Tasting
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