Tonight I am trying a new Italian wine that I haven't had the opportunity to experience before, the 2011 Poggio Al Lupo Morellino di Scansano. Now I've learned that Morellino di Scansano is a wine made in the hilly regions of coastal Tuscany in the Maremma region (in the past I've even reviewed a couple of wines from Maremma). Now unlike Chianti or Brunello, the Morellino di Scansano only needs to be made with 85% Sangiovese grapes, and there is no minimum aging requirement, so these wines can be released as soon as 8 months after harvest. As a result, these wines are often more young and crisp than many similar but aged wines.
The wine is a lighter color in the glass, but still consistent with a primarily Sangiovese based wine, with bright ruby along the edges. The nose is a complex bouquet of rich black fruit, ripe plum, blackberries and cassis along with some earthy notes of leather and oak. The taste is quite nice, with a blast of fruit up front that easily transitions to some dried herbs, black pepper and cocoa powder midpalate, over the faintest hint of iron and granite. The tannins are crisp but well structured leading to a very smooth, long and dry finish.
Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a lovely example of a Sangiovese based wine that I've not had before, and it was a solid value. I bought this from Wines Till Sold Out for just $15. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some barbecued chicken, a backed Yukon gold potato and some steamed broccoli, a nice Midwest Sunday dinner. The fruit of this wine really makes a nice accent to barbecue, not as jammy as a Zinfandel, but very nice nonetheless. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment