Wines from Tuscany

Written by Alastair Marshall, Adnams Senior Wine Buyer

For several years now we have been missing our Adnams Tuscan red, and so it was with much delight that news came from our friends at Castello di Volpaia that they could make this wine for us again. The Adnams Tuscan red is a happy blend of Sangiovese, the classic grape of Tuscany, with a therapeutic dose of Merlot to give roundness to the food friendly bite of the Sangiovese.

Back by popular demand, and better than ever.

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Like the other Adnams Selection wines it is designed to punch above its weight in terms of value for money and to be completely representative of its origins. In celebration of the return of this errant member of the Adnams family I thought it the perfect excuse to indulge in an exploration of other wines from my favourite Tuscan estates. Please bear in mind that these wines are not just idle apèritifs but wines made to be served with food and shared with friends.

The Tuscan Explorer
12-bottle case offer
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Tuscany, elegance and refinement
6-bottle case offer

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Here's more information on these mixed cases.

The Tuscan Explorer
Two bottles each of six great wines from five characterful producers

For over twenty years we have sold the Chianti of Castello di Volpaia, it is a remarkable estate that is centered around the hill top village of Volpaia and behind the ancient facades and narrow lanes of the village hide the pneumatic presses, stainless steel vats and oak casks of a modern winery. This is the Chianti that we judge all others by and from whom we are proud to source our own Tuscan red.

Giussepe Sesti has owned the Castello di Argiano estate since 1975. Enamored of lunisolar calendar systems, a rarified subject on which he has published four books, his vineyards are maintained in accordance with the lunar cycles, as is the work in the cellars. The Grangiovese, 100% Sangiovese, has vigour and concentration.

The Tenuta di Capezzana was once the property of the Medici Grand Dukes. This is a 104-hectare estate now owned by the Conti Contini Bonacossi family with all seven children working in the business. Barco Reale comes from the younger Sangiovese vines on the estate and is matured in casks of Allier oak for 10 months.

Situated in Marema, now the fashionable southern end of Tuscany and not far from the sea, this is the southern outreach of the Endrizzi family of Trentino who purchase the Serpaia estate some ten years ago. Farmed using biodynamic principals this Morellino (a synonym for Sangiovese) is full of the biting, cherry-flavoured fruit that goes so well with food.

Finally, a Riserva wine of particularly good value from the Barbanera (Blackbeard) family of the Villa Emanuela estate near Montepulciano. Delicate, but full of the flavours of autumn fruits and mellow oak. This sort of wine immediately puts you in mind of food; good Italian food.

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Tuscany, elegance and refinement
6-bottle case offer

Two wines from the lunar obsessed Giuseppe Sesti; his modest-sounding Rosso di Montalcino is anything but modest. 100% Sangiovese, matured in small oak casks for 16 months, this has concentration and grip. His Brunello, from that much-prized appellation in the heart of Tuscany, is again pure Sangiovese but from the favoured southern slopes where the finest fruit is grown. It is matured in small oak casks for four years before being bottled. Powerful, intense and commanding the attention of anybody who tries it.

Fontodi is a 70-hectare estate situated near Panzano. The Manetti family has owned this estate since 1968 and has worked with renowned winemaker Franco Bernabei since 1979. The vineyards are in the area known as the 'Conca d'Oro' or ‘golden shell’ where a favourable southern exposure guarantees high levels of ripeness. I liked this wine for its individuality and touch of maturity.

Fattoria Selvapiana, a 40-hectare estate, is owned by the Giuntini family who has been there since 1827. This estate is in the Chianti Rufina region, north east of Florence and the characteristic 'rusticity' that the region is famous for is in evidence in this wine. Possibly the most delicate of the wines in this mixed box, it is my favourite because it is just that - delicate.

Volpaia's Riserva is made of Sangioveto grapes, a close and slightly smaller cousin of Sangiovese, and has spent two years maturing in a mix of large Slovonian oak casks and French barriques before being 'assembled' in a stainless steel vat originally intended for Port. Complexity and elegance are the hallmarks of a wine that will continue develop if one has the patience.

Fattoria Petrolo: Lucia Bazzocchi has now handed this 31-hectare estate on to her son, Luca Sanjust. Luca focuses on concentration with pitifully small yields per vine and now has a growing reputation as one of the finest producers of Chianti in his region. Impactful is a word I rarely use but is entirely appropriate here. Power, depth, and concentration - this wine has it all.
 

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