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Rosso di Sera, Poggiopiano 2013

3.500000000 star rating 2 Reviews
Splendidly rich vibrant Italian red with lovely juicy fruit and hints of morello cherries and vanilla. Made from sangiovese with 10% colorino, the Bartolis could call this Chianti Classico but decided from their first vintage in 1995 to declare as a Supertuscan, an IGT Toscana. Just as good under either name and delicious at 10 years old. Low stock: limited to six bottles per member.
Price: £35.00 Bottle
Price: £210.00 Case of 6
In Stock
Code: IT28291

Wine characteristics

  • Red Wine
  • Full-bodied
  • Sangiovese
  • 75cl
  • Now to 2027
  • 14.5% Alcohol
  • bouquet/flavour marked by oak
  • Cork, natural

Central Italy

The large Central Italy region embraces Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise and Lazio. Geographically Central Italy is split by the imposing Apennine mountain range that runs the length of the centre of Italy like a slightly curved spine dividing, for example, Tuscany and Umbria from Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. While there is the usual diversity of grape varieties when you drill down in to the vineyards of these regions, one grape variety dominates – sangiovese, whether it stands alone or is blended.

At the heart of Tuscany is Chianti, spreading from north of Florence to south of Siena. Rolling green forested hills of captivating beauty characterise much of the Chianti area with vineyards sometimes planted at over 500 metres. The wines are dominated by the sangiovese grape supported by canaiolo, colorino, mammolo and ciliegiolo of the traditional varieties of the region but with the additional weight and structure of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot...
The large Central Italy region embraces Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise and Lazio. Geographically Central Italy is split by the imposing Apennine mountain range that runs the length of the centre of Italy like a slightly curved spine dividing, for example, Tuscany and Umbria from Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. While there is the usual diversity of grape varieties when you drill down in to the vineyards of these regions, one grape variety dominates – sangiovese, whether it stands alone or is blended.

At the heart of Tuscany is Chianti, spreading from north of Florence to south of Siena. Rolling green forested hills of captivating beauty characterise much of the Chianti area with vineyards sometimes planted at over 500 metres. The wines are dominated by the sangiovese grape supported by canaiolo, colorino, mammolo and ciliegiolo of the traditional varieties of the region but with the additional weight and structure of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot which are now permitted.

Other great wines from Tuscany are Brunello di Montalcino (‘brunello’ being a very localised clone of sangiovese, and the only permitted grape), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (from the town of Montepulciano and nothing to do with the montepulciano grape; Vino Nobile is again made from sangiovese) and the so-called Supertuscan blends of several grape varieties, some of which are not permitted under DOC rules in areas such as Brunello. The most famous of these Supertuscans are Sassicaia and Ornellaia, both of which are essentially Bordeaux -style blends from Bolgheri close to the Tuscan coast in the west. The region, partly with the impetus of these regulation bucking blends, has been a driving force in improving quality in the region and consequently across Italy.

Umbria to the south of Tuscany has developed an impressive reputation for its wines, such as the aromatic, tannic but delicious sagrantino from vineyards around Montefalco. Here too sangiovese is widely grown, making impressive Torgiano and blends together with varieties like merlot and cabernet. Higher ground in the north is cooler than the southern zone. Orvieto lies almost between the two in the west of Umbria. The wines of Orvieto are beginning to find their feet once more after decades of underperformance now that many growers are focussing on the grechetto grape that had once been ubiquitous but which had been pushed aside by the higher cropping but far less interesting procanico (aka trebbiano Toscano).

Lazio is the region around Rome which is struggling to creep out from the shadow of the dull wines that historically fed the thirst of a ready market in the Eternal City. Basically, there was too little incentive to change. Now there are a number of producers working hard to make Frascati of real character by improving their clones and their methods and by lowering yields.

Across the Apennines from Umbria is Le Marche with its mountainous national parks and sunny Adriatic coast. The best white wines are the two verdicchios, dei Castelli di Jesi and di Matelica, with the latter making the more characterful examples from its higher altitudes. Pecorino grapes from zones to the south produce fruity, interesting white wines with real potential to rival the best verdicchio. Reds are improving all the time, including Rosso Piceno (sangiovese with montepulciano) and Rosso Conero (montepulciano).

North of Le Marche is the region around foodie Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Home to Parmesan cheese, Parma ham and balsamic vinegar, the region has not developed a similarly impressive canon of wines to rival its reputation for fine foods. Much is unimpressive but the best sangiovese di Romagna from south-east of Bologna can be excellent, and as with elsewhere in Italy there are a growing number of growers and winemakers intent on improvement. The wine best known to British consumers is Lambrusco. Sadly the association many will have is with sweetened characterless froth from the 1970s and 1980s but the Lambrusco drunk by the Bolognese is very different and we are starting to see its appetising acidity and bracing bite, designed to accompany the salty hams, tangy cheeses and rich meat sauces of its home region, reach the UK.

As with Le Marche the vineyards of Abruzzo are squeezed between the great mass of the Apennines and the Adriatic, and the mountains have influenced the character of the Abruzzese and their food. To match their hearty dishes they drink montepulciano d’Abruzzo, invariably gutsy and full of lively red fruits and a Society wine of many years standing. Rosés such as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo are also becoming increasingly well known for their value and constantly improving quality when growers lower yields and winemakers take them seriously. Further south is the little known Molise region where montepulciano, aglianico and trebbiano grapes make characterful, rustic reds and whites. The Biferno DOC was created in the 1980s and there are producers here who are making some very promising examples.
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Poggiopiano

Situated in the hamlet of Pisignano overlooking San Casciano in north-west Chianti Classico region (close to Antinori), Poggiopiano has been owned by the Bartoli family since 1993.

The family now has 20 hectares of vines, which lie 300 metres above sea level on a flat-topped hill in the Florentine Valley. The limestone and marl soils here are perfectly suited to the sangiovese grape. Father Beppe, now in his eighties, is assisted by his sons: Stefano, who oversees the winemaking with the assistance of an oenologist, and Alessandro, who manages the estate and controls sales.

The winery is a restored nineteenth-century cantina, and contains both cutting-edge equipment and old cement vats that still produce excellent results. The family produces five wines, including a single-vineyard Chianti La Tradizione, designed for longer ageing than the Society’s Exhibition Chianti, and a sought-after wine called Rosso Di Sera, which is made with sangiovese and colorino, and which is declared as a Vino da Tavolo. The company also produces grappa and olive oil.

Winemakers Attilio Pagli and Valentino Ciarla make wines that reflect their origin but which are full of ripe, approachable fruit. This made them the ideal choice for The Society's Exhibition Chianti Classico.

Italy Vintage 2013

Northern Italy performed very well in a vintage that was difficult for many other areas. In Piedmont the cooler temperatures led to a long, slow ripening period that accumulated flavour and fragrance in the fruit. Clear, dry weather at harvest was very welcome and led to the harvesting of high-quality fruit. The expectation is for wines of depth, concentration and aromatic intensity that will keep. In Tuscany too growers enjoyed a long, slow maturation period after cool spring weather and a nippy August. Ripe and balanced wines that should age gracefully are the result.

2011 vintage reviews
2010 vintage reviews

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