This week we bring you two fantastic Italian wines, both made using natural methods of production and both offering a mouthful of yumminess. These wines are intense, yet elegant in their own ways, and really represent the best of the best in terms of expressing the character of the region from which they are born. A typically Tuscan white wine full of balance and fresh floral intrigue, and a bold red with great intensity and complex character!
What a delicious white wine this is! Made from the Vernaccia grape, which is known as the quintessential Tuscan white wine grape. We have featured this one in past vintages, and are truly blown away by the new 2021. Unbelievably layered wine with such a pure character with hints of melon, honeydew, gardenia flower, slight spice and sea-salty nature. This is a wine that is made using zero pesticides on the rolling hills of San Gimignano in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Proprietor Elisabetta Fagiuoli has been called the soul of Tuscany and produces outstanding wines using natural methods and displaying real Tuscan character. We all enjoyed this wine over a half an hour, by which point it had really opened up and revealed its true colors. Delicious!
For our red this week we travel up to northern Italy to the area of Langhe in Piedmont, where we find this absolute powerhouse of a Merlot. This is an intense, opulent wine full of concentrated notes of black cherry, nutmeg, and laurel, and a nose that is just elegant and beautiful. Cascina Morassino is a tiny estate located on the slopes of Langhe, and produces wines that marry elegance and power. This is a balanced but hearty wine that would be delicious with a medium-rare steak. Serve this slightly on the cooler side (i.e. don’t keep it on the counter if you have the heater on full blast) and let it breathe by uncorking it a couple hours before serving. Morassino is a true family operation, and the care and attention they give their vines really comes through in the final wine. Intense, warming, and complex wine full of delicious layers!