Morellino di Scansano

UC

Can you give us a little more info on this wine/region? Where is Morellino de Scansano? Maybe if you could give us a translation of the webpages in Italian, also.

Thanks

Tom Schellberg

Tom, Scansano is a town in Tuscany, in the coastal area known as the Maremma. Morellino is just one of the myriad names used in Italy for Sangiovese. So Morellino di Scansano is just Sangiovese from that part of Tuscany - as opposed to more famous Sangiovese (or Sangiovese-based) wines from over the hills to the east in inland Tuscany - Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano being just a few examples. I hope that helps.

- Mark W.

Thanks Mark. I'll asume it's a place for less famous Tuscan reds that are priced a little less than the more well-known regions.

Tom Schellberg

Morellino has been imported into the US since the early 1980's. When I worked retail, Le Pupile was the first wine of note from this area. Although it had to be at least 92% sangiovese, it differed from brunello/rosso di montalcino as the montalcino wines were from the sangiovese grosso clone. Price wise it always was a good value, when judged against other mostly sangiovese based DOC wines like carmignano, the montalcino wines and rosso/vino nobile di montepulciano. Although not as attractive and trendy as the wines of Bolgheri to the north west which also began to be exported in the mid-80's, morellino still packs quite a wallop especially for its usual retail price.

I have little to add, except to say that Morellino di Scansano (at least the Poliziano LOHSA) tastes distinctly different from other Sangiovese-based wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, at least to me. It seems a much better value than a typical Chianti Classico Riserva. But don't bother with the cheap ones. Try the Poliziano to start with.