Expressions of Terroir with Chianti Classico

I attended a virtual horizontal tasting last month called “Expressions of Terroir” sampling the different communes of Chianti Classico led by Jeff Porter in partnership with the Chianti Classico Consortium.  The tasting was focused on learning and understanding the difference between the communes and the styles they produce.  Each have a variety of different soils, altitudes, climates etc. each playing their own role in the development of the grapes. 

Chianti Classico is the oldest appellation in Italy.  The land had been defined in 1716 by Cosimo del Medici, but the specific Classico territory wasn’t established until 1932.  What we know as the “recipe” for Chianti Classico was created by Bettino Ricasoli in 1848, which originally included white grapes that have been removed as of 2006. 

The territory contains 10,000 hectares under vine with 7,200 hectares dedicated to Chianti Classico over 515 estates.  Forty percent of these producers are either certified or under conversion to be certified while 70% of them are practicing sustainability.  Even one third of them are using alternative sources for energy so there is a strong focus in this appellation for the preservation of the environment and it’s resources. 

There are 4 different soils that primarily make up the vineyards of Chianti Classico including alberese, lending acidity, galestro producing wines with sapidity, macigno Toscano, a sandy and light well drained soil and lastly argille, a clay based soil good for moisture retention. 

The Wines

Now a focus on the Chianti Classico wines tasted.  There were a taste of seven samples from the northern part of the territory in the Florence province to the southern part of Chianti Classico in the Siena province.  Although I enjoyed them all, four of them were my particular favorites.

San Cassiano in Val di Pesa (Florence) – Fattoria I Collazzi

This is the closest commune to the city of Florence just southwest on the outskirts.  San Casciano in Val di Pesa is a lower altitude and one of the warmer communes.  It’s a smaller territory with Fattoria I Collazzi occupying 400 hectares with 200 hectares planted to olive trees and only 10 hectares dedicated to Chianti Classico vineyards at about 1,000 feet above sea level.

San Casciano is located along two ancient rivers, Greve and Pesa, that are west and east of town.  The soils are alluvial consisting mostly of clay and galestro along with some river pebbles that allow the wines some softness and approachability.  The galestro helps with the acidity in the wine and provides structure, but elegance.    

The 2018 I Collazzi I Bastioni Chianti Classico DOCG is made of 80% Sangiovese with 18% Merlot and 2% Malvasia Nera.  It’s aged 12 months in barrel with an additional 4 months in the bottle.  It’s a medium bodied wine with tart cherry and a vibrant acidity with cedar and tobacco notes on the finish.  Alberto Torelli mentioned that the 2018 vintage was one of the best in the last 10 years with a balanced climate.  ABV 13.5%

Greve in Chianti (Florence) – Podere Castellinuzza 

Greve in Chianti is located southeast of Florence.   It’s a quick jaunt outside of Florence and is a quaint town with a great town center.  Podere Castellinuzza is located in the village of Lamole, only comprised of 9 producers total in the Monte del Chianti so the vineyards are at high altitudes.  The area is known for their irises, olives and vines with an aquaphor underneath the village providing water to the area.  Podere Castellinuzza has about 3.5 hectares of vines.

The soil in the area is made primarily of macigno del chianti, a sandstone that faces a lot of water stress and results in wines that are more floral, elegant and with the higher altitudes you’ll see wines with higher acidity.

The 2018 Podere Castellinuzza Chianti Classico DOCG is made of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo.  It’s aged 18 months in barrel with 6 months in the bottle. A sweeter nose of ripe cherries.  It’s vibrant, floral and fresh being more fruit forward than the others.  ABV 14%  

Barberino Tavarnelle (Florence) – Il Poggiolino

Barberino Tavarnelle is on the northwestern side of the appellation, therefore receiving some of the winds from the Mediterranean Sea.  The winters are milder with the summers cooler and breezy so the vines sprout earlier with a later harvest.  The soil here is mostly made of galestro with some flysch sediment and blue clay that maintains humidity and balance for the summer months. 

The 2018 Il Poggiolino Chianti Classico was a favorite for me.  Made of 95% Sangiovese with 5% Colorino this wine is aged 8 months partially in both big and small barrel with an additional 4 months in the bottle.  A balanced wine with nice structure and moderate tannin.  Deeper cherry flavors with a licorice, herbal notes and tobacco.  Higher acidity with nice length.  ABV 13.5% SRP $25

Copyright of Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico

Castellina in Chianti (Siena) – Tenuta di Lilliano

Castellina in Chianti is located northwest of Siena in the southern part of Chianti Classico.  It’s a bigger subzone that is hard to define.  It is a warmer climate and Alessandro Ruspoli from Tenuta di Lilliano defined the commune of Castellina in Chianti’s wines as “savory, balanced with freshness”.  The winery was started by Alessandro’s grandmother in 1920 and was commercially bottled in 1958. 

They own about 1,100 acres with 100 planted to vineyards and the rest occupied by crops, olives and forest.  The soils are rich in alberese that result in wines that are fresh with good acidity.

The 2018 Tenuta di Lilliano Chianti Classico DOCG was another chosen favorite.  Made of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Merlot.  It was showing deeper, riper fruit of cherries and violet.  Acidity was prevalent on the back tongues with low to moderate tannin on the finish.  This wine was aged 12-14 months in botti with an additional 3 months in the bottle.  Momentarily the winery is using 5% Merlot as the Canaiolo is being regrafted, but they plan to go back to a heavier amount of Canaiolo to replace the Merlot.  ABV 14.5%

Radda in Chianti (Siena) – Monteraponi

This is the smallest area of Chianti Classico just about 20km north of Siena.  A large part of this territory is forest.  Monteraponi has been farming organically since 2009.  Their soil is primarily based on alberese lending acidity to the wines.  This is one of the oldest soils in Chianti Classico.  They have 12 hectares mostly planted to Sangiovese with some Canaiolo, Colorino and Trebbiano.

The 2018 Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG is made of 95% Sangiovese with 5% Canaiolo.  It spent 16 months in French and Slavonian oak with an additional 2 months in the bottle.  This wine had juicy acidity showing more black cherry and a hint of menthol with moderate tannin and a silky finish.  When I went back to retaste the wine after I even picked up a little toasted marshmallow.   ABV 13.5% SRP $28

Gaiole in Chianti (Siena) – Badia a Coltibuono

Gaiole in Chianti is northeast of Siena and there are about 45 producers there.  It overlooks three valleys and receives a lot of water from the mountains.  It’s a larger territory and Roberto Stucchi Prinetti of Badia a Coltibuono recommends that the territory be divided into 4 sub zones since it’s very diverse between altitudes and soils.  The soil contains a lot of limestone and in northern Gaiole there is a lot of macigno that is lighter and sandier. 

Monks had been making wine on their property since the 11^th century.  The abbey is located in the north of Gaiole, but the vineyards of Badia a Coltibuono are located in the southern part of Gaiole and Roberto describes these typically as “concentrated, robust and elegant”. 

The 2018 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico DOCG is made of 90% Sangiovese with 10% native red grapes including Canaiolo, Colorino and Ciliegiolo.  It spends 12 months in large botti with an additional 2 months in bottle.  I’ve always been a fan of Badia a Coltibuono so this was another favorite pick of mine.  Well-balanced showing beautiful cherry notes, fresh acidity, and supple tannins.  ABV 13.5% SRP $21

Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena) – Felsina

Castelnuovo is the most southern part of Chianti Classico.  It is more hilly than some of the other communes and receives a light breeze and is an open area so it has nice ventilation.  They own a number of vineyard sites over 72 hectacres so there are a variety of altitudes and soils.  Most of it is white alberese and the sandy soils and limestone lend more florals to the wine. 

The 2018 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico DOCG is made of 100% Sangiovese selected from 11 of their parcels.  It’s aged 12 months in barrel with an additional 10 months in the bottle.  This is their mostly sold wine with a production of 280,000 bottles.  This is their estate wine with the first vintage released in 1967.  Chiara Leonini from the winery says the main characteristics of their wine show herbal and balsamic notes.  The wine is fresh with bright acidity, cherry, herbal and tobacco notes.  A well-balanced wine.  Another fav of the day!  ABV 13.5% SRP $26

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.

Starting the New Year off Right with Chianti Classico

Can you believe it's the start of a New Year?  Gosh how time flies, although 2020 was a struggle for all in some shape or form.  We're starting off on a positive note as the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group (#ItalianFWT) shares our personal Italian red and white wine favorites for the New Year.  

If you're a follower of Vino Travels you may already know my top pick if I'm forced to chose just one.  Although, I love Italian wine for a reason because I really enjoy them all from northern to southern Italy.  Sangiovese was my first love and even as I traveled the map of Italian wine it still remains my favorite.  We're not just talking Chianti because if I really had to narrow it down to a singular wine it would be Brunello di Montalcino.  Sangiovese is the primary grape used in all these wines along with others as well like Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  

During my wedding in Italy I made a stop at one of Chianti Classico's respected producers, Castellare di Castellina.  Located in one of Chianti Classico's main communes, Castellina in Chianti, the winery is located in the Siena province, just north of Siena itself along the breathtaking scenic drive known as the Chiantigiana.  It's easy to be mesmerized by the beauty that surrounds this area from the quaint and charming Tuscan towns with many of them surrounded by ancient medieval walls, containing cobblestone streets, picturesque alleys, and a number of wine shops and wine bars to stop into for a welcomed break.  

Castellare di Castellina was started in the 70's by Paolo Panerai and is located on 46 acres at about 1,200 feet above sea level.  Their vineyards are spread out as an amphitheatre southeast facing surrounded by olive groves.  Their grape yields are much lower than those required by the Chianti Classico DOCG laws and they practice being environmentally sound.  You'll see on all their bottle labels rare local birds to the Chianti area that face extinction.  

The Chianti Classico consortium is the first one in Italy that preserves the authenticity of the wines produced within the boundaries of Siena and Florence.  The Chianti Classico DOCG was granted in 1995 and holds producers to a number of requirements in order to carry this designation.  A couple of the main requirements are that the wines are made of at least 80% sangiovese with up to 20% other local native varietals.  For the Chianti Classico level, like the one I'm share today, the wines must be aged at least 12 months.       

The Wine

2011 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico DOCG: I had been holding onto this wine longer than I should have with no explanation.  Even though I will say it was past its peak I have tried a number of their wines and there was a reason why I originally purchased it and would recommend this producer and their wines again.  Made of 90% sangioveto, a local sangiovese clone, and 10% canaiolo.  This wine is aged 7 months in French oak and an additional 7 months in the bottle.  Regardless of the lack of the fruit lost from age the wine was still balanced with tannin and acidity, medium bodied and rather soft with a rustic flair.  SRP $24 ABV 13.5%

Join us live on Twitter this Saturday @ 11am EST at #ItalianFWT and learn about our Italian wine and food lovers selections. 

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm featured A Lovely Bottle of Taurasi paired with a Delicious Meal of Beef Tips Marsala.
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles served up Bacon and Butternut Pasta with a Langhe DOC Nebbiolo.
• Susannah at Avvinare was Taking a Closer Look at Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
• Camilla at the Culinary Adventures with Camilla was Capping off the Old Year with Cappelleti in Brodo + G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe 2016.
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest showcased how Lagrein Reigns in Alto Adige.
• Terri at Our Good Life cooked up An Italian favorite: Chianti Classico with Baked Salmon and Stuffed Mushroom Caps.
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass asked What If You Could Blend Your Own Pinot Grigio?
• Li at The Wining Hour was Keeping it Fresh and Fun with Fiano.
• Cindy at Grape Experiences brought us on A Return to Piemonte with Marenco Scrapona Moscato d’Asti 2019 and Bagna Cauda.
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator was Going with Lugana.
• Katarina at Grapevine Adventures shared 3 Wines to Get 2021 off on the Right Foot.

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50 Harvests with the Sieni Family of the Montefioralle Winery

Over the last two weeks I've attended a couple live online chats with the family of the Montefioralle Winery located in a division of Greve-in-Chianti in Tuscany called Montefioralle.  I've been to Greve a number of times and it's not too far outside of Florence.  I believe there is a SITA bus you can take from the bus station in Florence, but my preference when visiting the countryside is to rent a car and have the freedom to stop wherever you want.  There is so much to see and so many picturesque photo opportunities that you won't want to miss along the way.  The primary wine road to take through wine country there is the SS222 also known as the Chiantigiana.  Greve-in-Chianti will be one of your first main communes that you'll reach.

The family members that shared their history of Montefioralle were Fernando Sieni, the father, and his son, Lorenzo, and daughter, Alessia. They were so dedicated to sharing their story with us that they did the video live from their vacation in Puglia with their kids playing in the background.

It's an important year for the Montefioralle winery as they are celebrating 50 harvests this October. The winery was founded by Fernando's father back in 1964.  He rented the property and land from the church which he then planted the vineyards on.  Fernando finally purchased it from the winery in the mid 90's.  Both Fernando's parents were born in Montefioralle.  Montefioralle was founded by German monks.  Lorenzo mentioned that they found documents that actually mention that the priests of Montefioralle used to make wine in their vineyards all the way back to the 14th century.

The winery has come a long way from their 1st harvest of 500 liters to today producing about 10,000-12,000 bottles annually.Some of their procedures have changed over time where they used to use wooden barrels for fermentation where now they use cement vats.  Fernando was the one whom started green harvesting at the winery where they discard some of the grape bunches to increase the quality of the grapes.  His father was never in agreement of this as he thought it was always a waste of the grapes, until he really understood the reasoning behind it to produce higher quality wines.  They are currently taking part in green harvesting as we speak.  Lorenzo and Alessia's nephew, Sebastiano, whom is 12 has taken a liking to being in the winery and takes part in these activities including harvest.

The family shared that they have faced some difficult harvests like any winery including 2002 due to heavy rains where there many diseases evolved and the grape bunches had to be harvested by hand.   2014 was another difficult vintage where they lost over 40% of their production.  As Lorenzo described though that a great winemaker is one whom can produce great wines in the bad years as opposed to the good.  Although, their best vintage recommendations for their wines include 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016.  So far the 2018 vintage is shaping up like 2013 where it's been wet, but also sunny and not so hot followed by cool nights.  Alessia actually shared something that I found very touching and shows you the passion behind their winemaking philosophy and how they view wine more than just a product.  It's a way of life.  When asked her favorite vintage she stated that “Every wine has it’s own history and individuality and they allow that to transpire”.  Fernando compared it to not being able to choose a favorite child and it's the same with wine. 

The wines have always been produced organically, but in 2015 they started the process to be certified with the first vintage coming out as certified organic possibly in 2018 or 2019.  So what grapes do they produce?  They primarily produce sangiovese along with canaiolo and colorino for red grapes and trebbiano and malvasia for white grapes used in the production of their vin santo. In the 80’s Fernando wanted to plant international varieties including cabernet sauvignon and merlot that they use in their IGT designated wines.   

I received 3 of their wines including their 2015 Montefioralle Chianti Classico, the 2014 Montefioralle Chianti Classico Riserva and their Vin Santo.  Their chianti classico wines are produced with over 90% sangiovese, the noble grape of Tuscany, that is known for tannin and high acid.  The rest of the grapes added include canaiolo for approachability and a smoother wine as well as colorino for color since sangiovese is a light colored grape.  Not all wineries use canaiolo and colorino as canaiolo is difficult to grow and reach ripeness where the colorino is produced in small quantities.

2015 Montefioralle Chianti Classico  - This wine was aged a year in barrels.  This vintage had a very hot summer resulting in a wine full of ripe, rich cherries.  An approachable wine with rather balanced acidity and supple tannins.  Notes of tobacco and cedar all typical to sangiovese and part of the reason why I love it.  Lorenzo suggested aging the wine about 5-6 years and in good vintages this can be doubled.  ABV 14.5% (typically 13-13.5%) SRP $14

 

2014 Montefioralle Chianti Classico Riserva – A difficult vintage due to climate.  They produced 1,000 bottles that year as opposed to their normal 3,000.  Their riserva wines are produced from vines that are 30+ years old.  This wine is aged 2 years in barrel.  A wine with complex aromas including cherry with some herbal and chocolate notes.   Lorenzo recommended that this wine can age about 10-12 years on average and more than double in good vintages. ABV 14.5% SRP $30

I have yet to try the 2014 Montefioralle Vin Santo since I wanted to pair it with cantucci, or biscotti, as I have enjoyed in Tuscany.  I will let you know once I've had a chance to try it.  SRP $30 at a half liter bottle.  The nice about these wines is that Montefioralle has it arranged where they can ship directly as they are partnered with importers and mine came rather quickly. 

What I loved about meeting the Sieni family virtually was that everything they do is for their passion for wine.  They don't tailor their wines for the consumer market as some wineries do.  It's more about quality and not the quantity and I could feel their passion and sense of family and history throughout the conversation. 

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* Most pictures copyright of Montefioralle Winery.

Chianti of Terricciola with Fattoria Fibbiano

This month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is celebrating a Chianti extravaganza.  Having toured this area of Tuscany many times before I was excited to write about the area and one of my favorite Italian grapes, sangiovese.  One of my fellow Italian wine lovers, Katarina of Grapevine Adventures, introduced me to Matteo and Nicola Cantoni of Fattoria Fibbiano, the sons of founder Giuseppe Cantoni.   

Fattoria Fibbiano is located in Terricciola, which is within the province of Pisa and close to one of my favorite Tuscan towns, Volterra.  Located on only about 50 acres of vines,  the soils are treated with organic fertilizers.  What I love about one of their philosophies is Nicola's following statement, "We pursue the dream of the indigenous, the real Tuscan wine. We have no intention chasing the tastes of the moment, but we believe in the contrary, that the market has expanded its borders and that the consumer is ready to taste and appreciate something unique, that is born and grows only in a precise place and that becomes like a book that tells the story of a land and
men who live it."

I have yet to visit this winery myself, but did an interview with Matteo and Nicola to get a better understanding regarding the history of the winery and the area.  Enjoy!

How did the winery begin and when was it established?
In 1997, Nicola and Matteo's family moved to Tuscany and bought the Fattoria Fibbiano Winery.  The winery itself has been operated by the family ever since.  They have a very old vineyard estimated to be about 118 years old.  The Cantoni family is from south of Milan and have been farmers for generations and moved to this area to start the winery to rediscover their roots.

Tell me about the area, Terricciola, and what makes the area unique for winemaking.
Terricciola, known as the city of wine, and together with the Old Valley used to be based on a seabed. Today, the winery is located on top of the hill, at approximately 150 meters above water level and the soil is the same seabed, very rich of sea shells, clay and coral reef. The area is unique for wine making due to the the terroir, the exposition and the climate.  The vineyards have been growing there since Etruscan times, back 3,000 years.

What is the family's background in the wine industry?
The family is quite newer to the wine industry as it's only 20 years that they started. However, they've been farming for generations and their belief is that to make great wines starts with the production of great grapes.  Many times people just talk about wine making, but this is just the end of a very long process, where the grape is the origin of everything.  The family continues to keep learning day by day.

Matteo Cantoni

Why did the family choose this area to establish the winery?
There are two reasons why they chose this property: 

• The location is perfect. On top of a hill, beautiful landscape views with a beautiful old stone big house (that they fell in love with) and in the middle of everywhere in Tuscany
• The fact that on this property there was (and still is) an old vineyard.

What does the winery pride itself on and are their particular wines that are considered your flagship wines?

They are very proud to produce what they call "real Tuscan wine", meaning Tuscany wines produced with old indigenous varieties.  Everything started from the old vineyard, where they selected old clones for all the existing vineyards within the property.  They believe that people are ready to taste and appreciate something unique, that is born and grows only in a unique place, like a book telling the story of a land and men who live it.

What are the goals of the winery in upcoming years?
Their goals are to continue to increase the quality and soon they're ready to launch on the market some new wines produced with very old indigenous unknown Tuscan varieties that will make unique wines for unique people.

Do you export to the United States and in what markets?
Actually USA is still our biggest market with 45-50% of the whole production. We do export 90% of our production all over the world: Europe, Asia, Canada and North Africa.

I sampled the 2014 Fattoria di Fibbiano Casalini Chianti Superiore DOCG which is comprised of 80% sangiovese and 20% ciliegiolo.  With a ripe bouquet of red fruits and bunches of cherry jumping out on the palate this wine has rather smooth tannins with nice acidity.  

Join our Italian Food Wine and Travel group on Saturday Oct. 7 at 11am EST on Twitter as we discuss our Chianti findings. We'll all be posting and chatting, join us! Just look for the #ItalianFWT hashtag on Twitter Saturday morning! 

See what our Italian Food Wine & Travel Enthusiasts have to offer:

• Nicole at Somms Table shares “Cooking to the Wine: Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico with Italian Meatloaf & Pasta Pomodoro”
• Jane at Always Ravenous shares “Classic Tuscan Ragù Paired with Chianti”
• Li at The Wining Hour shares “Chianti Superiore, A Wine with Many Faces”
• Jill at L’Occasion shares “Chianti Lessons”
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Rolling the Dice on a 1979 Chianti Rufina”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Experience Chianti Classico with Montefioralle”
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures shares “Collaboration, Passion, and Tradition Makes You Stronger – Vignaioli di Radda”
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “A Glass of Chianti & Dreams of Porchetta”
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Chianti: Beyond the Straw Bottle“
• Susannah at Avvinare shares "Wines from Chianti Colli Fiorentini - Worthy of Our Attention"

*Wines were received as samples, but opinions are my own.  All pictures copyright of Katarina Anderson of Grapevine Adventures.

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Baked Sausage Rigatoni with Vignevecchia Chianti Classico Riserva #WinePW

Have you ever asked yourself when you should open that special bottle you've been holding onto? Maybe you're like the average wine consumer that goes to the wine store and drinks that night when you just purchased. Well if you need an excuse or push to open a bottle of wine that you've been sitting on waiting for a special occasion “open that bottle night” is the perfect excuse to do so. Make an average night into an exciting one. The perfect excuse to put your wine pairing hat on to and get cooking in the kitchen.

What is open that bottle night? It began in 1999 and was started by Wall Street Journal wine columnists, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter. It's held the last Saturday of every February. The wine you choose doesn't have to be an expensive wine. It could be a bottle you brought back from a memorable vacation or maybe you purchased it at a wine event where you met the winemaker. I love opening wines that bring me back to a place in time that created wonderful memories in my mind. That's why I chose to open one of my bottles that I brought back from my wedding in Italy for our Wine Pairing Weekend group's feature of open that bottle night (#otbn). 

While touring Tuscany we spent a day touring the vineyards stopping in at random vineyards and one of our stops was VignaVecchia in Radda in Chianti. You can read more about my visit to Vignavecchia that I've written previously about. For open that bottle night I opened the 2009 VignaVecchia Vigneto Odoardo Beccari Chianti Classico Riserva D.O.C.G, a blend of 90% sangiovese and 10% canaiolo. The wine is named after Odoardo Beccari, an orphan from Florence, Italy that traveled the world studying plants and botanical gardens. His botanical collection is found in Florence at the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze. Upon tasting this wine again since 2013 it was a wonderful wine as I remembered it. Deep ruby red in color in the glass. Full bodied with ripe cherries, a hint of tobacco backed with mouthwatering acidity, moderate tannins then finishing with great length. 

When deciding what to pair with it I opened my Under the Tuscan Sun cookbook, another memory of when I met Frances Mayes at a book signing, and browsed many of the Tuscan dishes. I chose to pair it with a baked sausage rigatoni. A little different preparation than I normally would do with this dish as it wasn't made with a pasta sauce, but rather a soffritto. What is a soffritto? It stems from the Italian word for soffrigere meaning to brown or slightly fry. It's a mixture of diced carrots, celery and onions with herbs sauteed in olive oil. 

Soffritto

To prepare the baked sausage rigatoni I started first with the sausage by browning it in a saute pan.  I then prepared the soffritto and added chopped whole tomatoes. In the meantime the pasta water was prepped to boil for making the rigatoni. In a separate bowl ricotta was mixed with fontina and mozzarella. Once the pasta was finished,  I added the ricotta mix and soffritto into a baking dish topped with bread crumbs and parmigiano.  Finally it was baked in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Voila! 

A beautiful pairing of Tuscan food & wine. Try it for yourself for a night in Tuscany. Buon appetito!

On Saturday, March 11, the #winePW will be sharing about our Open That Bottle Night pairings. Below is a list of the posts that will be shared on Saturday, March 11:

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will post How #OTBN happens while on vacation in Dominica

Sue from A Palatable Pastime is pairing Pork Carnitas with Saint Cosme Cotes-Du-Rhone

Michelle from Rockin Red Blog is writing about South of the Border for Open That Bottle Night

Cindy from Grape Experiences is posting Wine and Dine: Two New Zealand Pinot Noirs and One-Pan Chicken

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is pairing Red Wine Chorizo + 1994 Argyle Reserve Oregon Pinot Noir

Nancy from Pull That Cork will post Our OTBN Celebration: The Château Léoville-Las Cases Stole the Show

Lori from Dracaena Wines is sharing Wine is in Boxes. It's OTBN. Still turned out to be a night not to miss

Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog will post Batting A Thousand for OTBN Vol 8- A Celebration With Friends

Jill from L'occasion is opening A Gigondas from the Cellar

Julie from Wine-N-Friends will share A memorable pairing with 2012 Kenzo Murasaki

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator is posting Cheers to Open That Bottle Night 2017 with Champagne from Bollinger

David from Cooking Chat is posting Chanterelle Beef Stew with a Special Wine

No blog post about #OTBN, no worries! You can still join the conversation about Open That Bottle Night Pairings by joining our live Twitter Chat on Saturday, March 11. Simply tune into the #winePW hashtag on Twitter at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on 3/11 and join the conversation. Please also make plans to join us for the April Wine Pairing Weekend event, when Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm will be hosting on the topic of "My Old Standy" on April 8. You can get a list of all the past and upcoming #winePW events by visiting the Wine Pairing Weekend page.  

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It's celebration time with Poliziano!

This past Labor Day weekend I finally celebrated my own labor and the birth of our son Remy whom was born on July 3^rd at a healthy 8 pounds and 10 ounces It's been a LONG time since I've enjoyed a glass of wine, but the sacrifices have been all worth it.  I enjoy waiting to open some of my special bottles for special occasions and what a special life changing occasion it has been. With so many bottles I have brought back from Italy it was hard to select one, but I chose my 2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano that I brought back from my visit at their winery many years ago.

About Poliziano

I've written about Poliziano a couple times on my site when I wrote about wineries in Italy that use cement tanks in their winemaking and I also included them on my top 5 winery recommendations in Tuscany. Poliziano was started in 1961and have increased their vineyard acreage from 22 to 120 hectacres (49 to 297 acres) over the years. There are a number of single vineyards that they own including Asinone, Casale, Pozzi, Valiano, Lama and Caggiole with soils that are rocky and that include volcanic clay.

What makes up Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Vino nobile, meaning “noble wine”, is produced in the south eastern part of Tuscany. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano became a recognized DOCG status in 1980. To be recognized as a DOCG wine it must contain at least 70% of the sangiovese grape, here known as prugnolo gentile, along with 30% other grapes from Montepulciano. It also must age at least 2 years plus an additional year for the riserva. There are also some additional requirements including yield restrictions, etc.

A more affordable Vino Nobile

A step down from the DOCG level is the Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, a younger wine, more affordable, and not held to as strict standards. Of course it will never be a Vino Nobile, but it could be a more affordable option for some to get a sense of Montepulciano where these grapes are grown.

The 2004 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano that I tasted was produced with 85% prugnolo gentile and 15% a blend of colorino, canaiolo and merlot. It's aged between 14-16 months partly in French oak barriques and tonneaux that are 20% new and partly in traditional casks. Garnet in color and ruby red around the rim.  This wine first had firm tannins that became more balanced with the ripe cherry fruit as time went on.  A nicely structured wine with a persistent finish.  Poliziano recommends aging this wine 10-12 years and I felt this wine was still drinking well and definitely benefited from decanting. It was very smooth, if not better, even the next day. This wine was rated 88 points Wine Spectator and was awarded the “due bicchieri rossi” for the 2005 Gambero Rosso.

Many of you have visited wineries and know there is no better way to learn about the land, the grapes, the climate and the history than putting yourself amidst all the wonder that goes into creating what's in our glasses. If you can find yourself wandering the vineyards of Italy that's even better. Montepulciano is a great town in Tuscany to visit as well, but bring your walking shoes as it's a hike to the top to reach Piazza Grande.

Wine tasting in Piazza Grande. Sometimes you gotta be silly!

Salute to the special occasions in your life!  Life is too short...enjoy!

Information sourced by Poliziano.

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