Chianti Classico, whom to visit?

Great to see you here again!

It used to be true that 100% Sangiovese was not admitted, but that changed more than a decade ago. My favorite Tuscan wine Le Pergole Torte (from Montevertine whom Mark mentions) could now be legally Chianti Classico, but stuck with status quo.

I also haven't visited Tuscany, but if I did my list would echo Mark's (and maybe add Fontodi and Castello di Ama).

Montevertine is one wine I find to be consistently good. One I haven't tried in a while is Percarlo, I remember it also being a reliable great wine. Even though neither are my preferred style, cannot help liking them.

About Brunello (should be a new thread...). I know that the @#$%^mess that is going on there about Sangiovese being not-so-secretly and illegally cut with abundant Cab is still going on, but consider this (ok a little polemic): Sangiovese pure is a recent phenomenon, Sangiovese has alway been cut with other varieties including white ones, and for good reason (Nils you know my theory of Souther blends / Northern varietals), consistent with Southern Rhone, Bordeaux and to some extent even Northern Rhone.

Now WHY NOT blend Sangiovese with Cabernet? If the result is good, then maybe it's time to revise the DOCG? I mean, DOCG in Italy now means nothing, there are so many DOCGs now, even for areas with ABSOLUTELY NO TRADITION of making good wine, and some that do not produce a single wine that is anything more than mediocre.

Nils please investigate while you are there.

ciao

Mike

Mike, are you talking about IGT in your comments about Sangiovese/Cab blending? It seems like the "Super Tuscan" buzz of a decade or so ago has largely quieted down. Does that mean more acceptance, decline of the novelty, or abandonment of the concept/quality?

No I am referring to the fact that many Brunello makers, even very reputable, were caught in flagrante delicto mixing other grapes into their theoretically pure Sangio, and even had their wines impounded by the fraud squad. Since then, instead of repenting, many of these known winemakers have advocated "flexibility" in Brunello rules.

Il 30/08/2011 15.16, Luk ha scritto:

By the way, if you decided to visit the Scansano area (thing that I suggest because very beutiful and less crowded than the most famous Montalcino ecc. ecc.) I recomend you to go eating at "La Cantina" and ask for some OLD morellino botles (1996 is superb) they still produce.

Luk

Luk, Whose Morellino do you buy these days? Who are the traditional/natural producers there?

TIA, Mark Lipton

Poggio Argentiera is really good.

Poggio Argentiera, yes, and Poggio al Toro (noticeable also their blanc de noir sangiovese), and the morellino of La Cantina, mainly the few old botles they still have. Luk

Thanks, guys. I don't know if you saw it, but I recently posted about a bottle of Az. Ag. Biologica i Botri di Ghiaccioforte Morellino from 2005 that I opened. How do they compare with the producers you've mentioned?

Mark Lipton