Close-up on Sangiovese and Super Tuscans

Italy’s most widely planted wine grape, Sangiovese, and its prized national export, Super Tuscans, were closely scrutinised at our Under the Tuscan Sky event, with Italian wine expert Michael Palij MW and special guest Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi.

Michael Palij MW giving an animated talk on Sangiovese and Super Tuscans at the Under the Tuscan Sky event

Organised by the drinks business Hong Kong and Jebsen Fine Wines, the two masterclasses explored the many different expressions of Sangiovese from Chianti to Montalcino, and ultimately the iconic Tuscan brand – Super Tuscan, that defied Italy’s restrictive law.

Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi, the dignified 29th generation owner of the renowned Tuscan estate, Marchesi Frescobaldi, and its Area Manager, Asia Pacific, Erika Ribaldi, were speakers at the masterclasses which was followed by a wine dinner hosted at Nicholini’s at Conrad Hong Kong.

The Different Expressions of Sangiovese

Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi introducing his family wines at the masterclasses

Tuscany, arguably one of the most enduring wine regions in the world, is home to some of Italy’s most iconic wines including Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti. Moderated by Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennine Mountains, Tuscany’s climate varies from Mediterranean on the coast to continental towards the inland.

Grapes planted in the region range from indigenous varieties such as Colorino, Canaiolo, Malvasia Nera and Trebbiano to Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. But nothing champions more of this region’s diversity than its most widely planted grape – Sangiovese, a thin skinned red grape that accounts for about 10% of all vineyard plantings in Italy.

Speaking to a room full of wine enthusiasts, Michael warned, Sangiovese “has been, for many centuries, misunderstood” before starting the first masterclass on the red grape. The first masterclass looks at six different expressions of Sangiovese from three historic estates of Marchesi Frescobaldi  – Castello Nipozzano in Chianti Rùfina, Tenuta CastelGiocondo and Luce Della Vite in Montalcino.

The Vecchie Viti 2012 from the Castello Nipozzano estate in Chianti Rùfina was described by the Marchese as “a private reserve for the family”. The wine harks back to the traditional Chianti blend with Sangiovese, Malvasia Nera, Colorino and Canaiolo. In fact, the Marchese revealed the first bottles of Nipozzano wines from the family date back to 1864, from a time when various mildews and phylloxera were all attacking Sangiovese. This almost wiped out Sangiovese production between 1850 and 1890, Michael later commented.

The more modern interpretation of Sangiovese from the same estate is a pure Sangiovese called Montesodi. Considered a first cru wine from the Chianti Rùfina estate, the wine is Frescobaldi’s attempt for single vineyard’s terroir expression.

“When we decided to make Montesodi as a single vineyard, 100% Sangiovese, we wanted to convey a message that to produce good wines with Sangiovese, we should choose good places. A good wine grower’s first job is to choose perfect soil,” the Marchese stressed.

Moving south from Chianti Rùfina to Montalcino, soil and climate varied notably, changing from alberese soil (marl limestone soil) and continental influences to galestro soil (schist based soil) and more maritime influences that characterised Montalcino.

A guest was studying the technical sheets of the wines before the start of the masterclass

It’s also worthy to note that Brunello di Montalcino was classified as a DOCG in 1980, the first in Tuscany, earlier than Chianti (1984) or Chianti Classico (1986), ushering in what Michael Palij MW called “modern winemaking in Italy.”

“Italy has 3000 years of winemaking, but modern winemaking is from 1980 onwards.” Palij added.

“Before that, everything was devoted to make the most amount of cheap wines. This lasted until 1980s.”

Leading the quartet of Montalcino expressions is the Campo Ai Sassi Rosso di Montalcino. Compared with Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino has no specific oak ageing requirement, whereas two years of oak ageing is compulsory for Brunello, as part of the lengthy 5-year ageing requirement, the longest in Italy. The Rosso di Montalcino displayed “a more youthful and less complicated” character, volunteered by one of the guests.

The second Montalcino wine is a CastelGiocondo Brunello produced from a site that is 300 metres above sea level. The Marchese introduced the wine as a red that has “structure, longevity and character for much longer time to come, “ highlighting its ageability.

Luce Brunello, on the other hand, displays greater flavour intensity and body, grown from southwest-facing hillsides that are 350 to 420 metres above the sea level.

“Giocondo is a result of vineyards in different locations. The estate of Luce has much smaller vineyards. The wine has a unique personality, power, and richness that is really special, ”said the Marchese, comparing the two Brunellos.

Finally, the first masterclass finished on a high note with a GastelGiocondo Brunello Riserva 2006, made from Sangiovese grapes planted between 350 metres and 450 metres above sea level on schist galestro soils, rich in clay and calcium.

Here are all the wines showcased at the first masterclass:

Nipozzano Vecchie Viti Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG 2012

Montesodi Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG 2010

Campo ai Sassi Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2012

CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011

Luce Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011

CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2006

Super Tuscans

All the Super Tuscans for the second masterclass were served from magnums

The birth of Super Tuscans was a result of local vintners’ defiant protest against Italy’s restrictive law that required the blending of white grapes in reds up to 20%. The law then also prohibited the use of non-indigenous grapes of Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Sangiovese-based wines.

Essentially “Super Tuscan refers to anything that breaks the law in Tuscany at the time,” Palij concluded. Before 1996, producers were required to add a percentage of white grapes in the making of Chianti. From 1996 till 2006, producers were not obliged to add white grapes in the blend. This came to a head in 2006 when Chianti’s wine governing body, Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico, completely scrapped the use of white grape varieties.

Different from central Tuscany, coastal region of Tuscany has large deposits of alluvial soil and is moderated by maritime climate, similar to Bordeaux. “It’s very suited for Bordeaux grapes,” Palij pointed out, explaining why Bolgheri-based Sassicaia, a pioneer of Super Tuscan, went for Bordeaux varieties for blending.

But even when making wines from Central Tuscany where the soil and climate are drastically different from coastal regions of Tuscany, not surprisingly, Super Tuscans take on different styles and characteristics, Palij noted.

A guest taking notes on Super Tuscans at the second masterclass

To start with, the first wine of the second masterclass is Mormoreto, a single vineyard wine made from the lowest part of Castello Nipozzano in Chianti Rùfina. Different from the common alberese soil seen in Chianti, the site surprisingly has very sandy, rocky soils that are suited for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. These grapes were first planted in the vineyard as early as the 19^th century, said the Marchese, noting that planting and eventually blending these Bordeaux grapes into Sangiovese was not such a subversive move for the family, saying, “we have grown up with the mix of Cabernet Sauvignon”.

The 2011 vintage is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, absent of Sangiovese which makes it into the blend in some vintages.

The second wine, LaMaione, a 100% Merlot from CastelGiocondo estate, inspired a discussion on Merlot’s influences in Tuscany. Palij argued that Tuscany is the spiritual home for Merlot outside of Bordeaux.

“If you think about Masseto and Le Macchiole Messorio and other 100% Merlot, nonetheless, outside of Pomerol, this is the most expensive place for Merlot. California is the second home for Cabernet Sauvignon outside of Bordeaux, and Tuscany is the second home for Merlot,” Palij stated.

Moving on to the third wine, Giramonte, a Merlot-based red blended with 15% of Sangiovese, is a wine from Frescoboldi family’s oldest estate Castiglioni in southeast of Florence. The red was voted as one of most favourite wines at the masterclass tasting.

Michael Palij MW continues the discussion on Sangiovese and Super Tuscans with two Master of Wine students at the masterclass

Travelling south to Montalcino, the tasting continues with two Super Tuscan wines from the Luce della Vite estate – Lucente and Luce. Both are blends of Merlot and Sangiovese. Lucente, described by the Marchese as “the younger brother of Luce”, is aged in stainless steel for a year and the 2014 vintage showcased at the masterclass is still youthful in the glass.

The 2012 Luce, the Montalcino estate’s flagship red, impressed the Hong Kong wine connoisseurs with its elegance, youthful power and complexity. Compared with Giramonte, Luce is fleshier and more modern in style, the estate’s export manager Erika Ribaldi concluded the masterclass with her praises of Luce, a well-recognised Super Tuscan brand that has garnered admiration from Japanese and other Asian collectors.

The wines for the second masterclass are:

Mormoreto Toscana IGT 2011

LaMaione Toscana IGT 2010

Giramonte Toscana IGT 2007

Lucente Toscana IGT 2014

Luce Toscana IGT 2012

Following the two in-depth masterclasses, a four-course wine dinner curated by Nicholini’s head chef Luca De Berardinis was served. Around 50 guests were treated with a refreshing aperitif – the traditional method Leonia Pomino Brut from Castello Pomino followed by a pure Chardonnay from the same estate – Benefizio Riserva 2012.  The red wines that paired with the menu were  Montesodi Chianti Rùfina Riserva 2006, LaMaione 2006, Ripe al Convento di CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2007, Giramonte 2011 and finally the Pomino Vinsanto 2007 to pair with the cheese or dessert.