« UMBRIA – TOSCANA (11) … CASTELLARE DI CASTELLINA & DCC | Home | 2010 PRESS-TRIP CHILE: … MOVI-TASTING »
UMBRIA – TOSCANA (10) … SAN-LEONINO (ANGELINI)
After our much too short trip to Umbria (Montefalco, Sagrantino) we left in the early morning to Tuscany. The first visit brought us to Fattoria San Leonino, close to Castellina in Chianti (Siena). This winery in San Leonino is part of the Tenimenti Angelini. It is located in an absolutely gorgeous landscape of gently waving hills and uncountable picturesque small medieval villages, perched on the top of the hills, most of them with a fortified farm or even a charming castle.
San Leonino, vineyards, winding roads, castle and waving hills
The vineyards of San Leonino are all situated adjacent or very close to the winery. The plant density (7.200 plants per ha) of the replanted vineyards (50%) is higher than the average in Tuscany, but the yields per plant are lower while the grape quality is much better.
Modern, high density syrah vineyards
San Leonino produces classic Chianti and Chianti Classico Riserva wines, but also a rather modern interpretation from the Monsenese growth (using cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot to counterbalance the traditional sangiovese). The people at Fattoria San Leonino are really warm and welcoming, the visit and the great lunch were memorable!
Tenimenti Angelini
The Angelini properties (tenimenti) are hold, I am sure you guessed already, by the Angelini family, well-known for their market leading personal care and Wellness Company. The Angelini tenimenti were founded in 1994 with the acquisition of three historical Tuscan wineries: Azienda Agricola Val di Suga (Montalcino), Tenuta Tre Rose (Montepulciano) and Fattoria San Leonino (Castellina in Chianti). They offer wines from three prestigious appellations: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico. In total, the three Tenimenti Angelini produce 18 wines, one grappa and some olive oil. As you can imagine, it was a very interesting and long tasting, followed by an extraordinary lunch with for our eyes freshly prepared sea fish (dentex) sashimi and a trilogy of raw calf meet, beautiful and very tasty…
Sashimi of dentex sea fish
The tasting
Tuttobene Toscana bianco IGT 2009: citrus, yellow fruit, green apple, exotic nuances… expressive but not too much. Modern wine, fresh and juicy, mouth filling and tasty, fresh aftertaste. Good.
Renaio chardonnay di Toscana IGT 2009: creamy nose (reminiscence of lees), apple and citrus, a hint of fresh tropical fruit. Very fresh, pleasant, juicy, pure and mineral (lees), very well-made but quite ‘international’. Good.
Busillis Bianco di Toscana IGT 2009: Modern and trendy international type wine made from… viognier! Appealing nose, creamy (lees!) and generous, with yellow fruit and some exotic nuances. Very fresh and fruity, well-made but very ‘international’. Good.
Tre Rose Rosato di Toscana IGT 2009: Very nice and interesting wine, made from 100% sangiovese. Fresh, fruity, juicy, very smooth, pleasant and refreshing. A fantastic (and different!) wine for a summer lunch under the pergola. Good.
Tuttobene Toscana rosso IGT 2008: Nice nose, appealing and generous, plenty of red fruit and a touch of aromatic herbs. Very well made, modern, very pleasant, fresh and smooth. Italian (sangiovese) with an international (merlot) wink. Good.
San Leonino Chianti Classico DOCG 2007: Very ‘Italian’ nose (red berries, cherries, violets…). Great acidity, good structure and backbone (5% cabernet sauvignon!), ripe fruit, a hint of spices (5% syrah!), nice minerality in the finish. Good!
San Leonino Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2007: Much more ‘serious’ in the nose than the ‘simple’ Chianti Classico. More spices and oak influence, more minerality, less exuberant fruit. Great structure, smooth and velvety, round and generous, with a tannic backbone and spicy finish. Very good!
Monsenese Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2005: What a lovely color, intense but bright. Complex aromatic, wild berries, spices and sensual warm oak notes. Round, mild, velvety with a great tannic structure, especially noticeable in the long finale. Very good!
Tre Rose rosso di Montepulciano DOC 2008: Appealing color, delicate fruity nose with a hint of elegant toasty oak. Medium body, good balance, ripe and soft tannins, fresh and very pleasant. Well-made but not really remarkable and for my taste, a bit too modern, Italian (85% prugnolo Gentile) with an international accent (5% merlot, 5% syrah, 5% gamay). Good.
Tre Rose Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2007: Very nice color and exciting nose. Complex, rich, ripe fruity, spicy with a hint of brown tobacco and toast. Good structure and balance, elegant minerality, not really complex but very pleasant and tasty. Good.
La Villa Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2006: Intense and deep color. Rich and complex bouquet, plenty sundried fruit and spices with brown tobacco and toasted oak on the background. Soft, round, velvety, with ripe tannins and a long finish. Good.
Simposio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2006: No single doubt about it, forget all the previous wines with a small percentage of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and/or petit verdot. Go straight away for this one, 100% prugnolo gentile, a selection from the best vineyards. What a wonderful nose! Very typical Italian, rich, complex, sensual, with plenty of sun ripe fruits, spices and elegant toasting notes. Very well integrated oak, perfect balance, nice minerality, powerful but ripe tannins, lingering finish. Very good! (P.S. Best value for money! Ask your favorite retailer for it!)
Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2005: Fantastic bouquet, complex, ripe fruity, spicy, slightly balsamic, with good integrated toasty oak tones. Powerful attack with solid tannins, followed by a nearly paradoxical classy elegancy and a round, velvety and juicy taste. Long and sensual finish. Great wine! (P.S. Great value for money! Ask your favorite retailer for it!)
Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2004: Powerful and complex nose, rich fruity, spicy and balsamic, with more torrefaction aromas than the Val di Suga. Full bodied, meaty, balsamic, with a reminiscence of fruits on alcohol. Long and impressive finish with some bitter chocolate and spices. Excellent!
The general impression after this tasting and the warm welcoming was very positive. You can feel that people here wants to make high quality, but are still open to modern techniques and consumers trends. Ethically speaking, I don’t like wines that are too modern and international, only to please a part of the consumers. Italy has so much different terroirs, varietals and types of wine to offer; wines with a great genuineness and a long historical, cultural and gastronomical history. But of course, even I do understand that in a very aggressive consumer market, when you make investments you need cash flow and therefore cash cows… Fortunately, it is a great feeling to taste also the ‘real’ Italian stuff, to smell and taste thousand years of tradition in a sip of wine. And believe me, at Angelini, they do know how to make great traditional wines too! A real relief and a great memory…
Many thanks to Francesco Vitulli and the whole crew!
Comments
Goedenmorgen heer Callec, prachtig geschreven artikel over Tenimenti Angelini. Bij toeval op uw website gevonden. Laat ik nu de favourite retailer zijn! Hoe brengen we dit nieuws aan de man? Jammer dat ik niets van Francesco Vitulli over uw bezoek had gehoord, druk druk waarschijnlijk.
Met vineuse groet,
Lammert Wiegmink