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Kevin's comments: A rich and complex nose with notes of ripe fruit and cherries combined with spices and herbs. On the palate, the wine is rich and dry with ripe tannins.
Chateau Tasting Notes
CANTINA BONACCHI, TOSCANA, MORELLINO DI SCANSANO
Maremma is a long, loosely defined strip of Tuscan coastline south of Livorno extending southward, through the province of Grosseto. Like the Médoc in France, the low-lying parts of Maremma were swamps or marshes for much of their history. Poverty and banditry were rife until the draining of the swamps in the 20th Century. Production of wine is consequently a recent development. Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah grapes have shown good results to the south of the area near the town of Massa Maritima. The classic DOC zone Sangiovese Morellino di Scansano lies in the province of Grossseto between the Ombrone and Albegna Rivers. The area is large with hillside vineyards that begin at an altitude of 150m near the sea and rise to 500m near Scansano itself.
The mid 1990's saw a boom in investment in the zone with many of Tuscany's most prestigious high-quality wineries purchasing properties and vineyard land, attracted both by the potential shown in the better wines and the relatively low prices compared to the better-known central Tuscan DOCs. The wines of Maremma are already showing high quality and decisive character thus making the zone the new frontier of Tuscan viticulture.
Cantina Bonacchi, founded in 1965, is a family owned winery that is situated in the heart of the Montalbano Hills, that lie between the towns of Florence and Pistoia in Tuscany. The family owns 40 hectares of vineyards in the Chianti Montalbano area and a winery with 20 hectares of vineyards in the Chianti Classico area near Siena.
The Sangiovese Morellino di Scansano grapes are sourced from vineyards belonging to long term contract growers. The wine is then bottles at Bonacchi's modern cellars near Pistoia. This very modern plant, in the heart of the winery, was completed in 1998 and gained ISO 9002 certification. The winery boasts of 2 fully automated bottling lines, a large vinification plant and an old cellar for the ageing of fine wines in barriques and oak barrels.
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
Winemaking: The grapes were softly pressed. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled vats at 30°C. The wine went through Malolactic fermentation and was left to rest in temperature controlled vats for 12 months prior to being bottled.
Colour: Ruby red with violet tinges.
Taste: The nose is rich and complex with notes of ripe fruit and blackberries combined with spices an herbs. In the mouth the wine is rich and dry but at the same time has ripe tannins.
Serve: At room temperature with roast meats, game and mature cheese.
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