a great red wine: Morellino di Scansano

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 376 Location: Italy

If you're a fan of Chianti, Morellino di Scansano is a wine you should try. Morellino is a grape that is technically a strain of Sanvgiovese, which is the main grape in Chianti. Chianti is a wine area inside the central/north of Italian region of Tuscany; Scansano is a village situated on a mountain ridge in the heart of Maremma, which is an area in the southernmost part of Tuscany -- way, way south of Chianti, south of Montalcino, and about 20 miles east of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its hot weather, valley views, and proximity to the coast and beaches make it more famous to tourists as a vacation spot than wine country. However, those same factors make it an ideal place for vineyards, and there's no doubt that serious wines are coming out of this popular summer getaway.

Great wines begin with grapes. Long, hot growing seasons (such as those that occur in Scansano) allow grapes to fully ripen with high sugar levels and in turn produce wines rich in fruit and solid in structure. In other words: the hotter, the better. When you consider that very good wines come from Chianti in the north of Tuscany, and deeper, richer wines come from the more southern town of Montalcino, you can understand the potential of vines grown in Scansano, the southern side of Tuscany.

Morellino di Scansano wines stand out as a tremendous value. On the palate you immediately taste rich, ripe black cherry and berry flavors that blend into a pleasant tartness. Tannins are soft at first, then firm up in the lengthy, balanced finish, which exudes ample acidity and a final punch of black fruit. To REALLY enjoy this wine, pour out an extra glass and set it aside for a half hour or so while you're drinking the first. Giving the wine a chance to "breathe" will bring out even deeper, more earthy aromas and a complex, delicious array of flavors.

This wine is great with pasta as well as pork sausages or a "Fiorentina" steak.

Price is not otrageous as a "Super Tuscan" Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino: you wont find it in a supermarket, but a big wine store should have it at price from $12 to $18 (9€ - 16€ in Europe) depending of the year.
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In vino veritas!