Inside IWM

The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

Super Tuscans, Not Just a Wine by Any Other Name

An Interview with Cinzia Merli of Le Macchiole

Super Tuscans hold a special spot in the collective wine consciousness for a number of reasons—they hold a prestigious rank, a lofty price tag, and a whole lot of confusion. Looking just at price and classification alone, consumers notice a paradox: Super Tuscans, while awarded a rather low appellation (they are mostly IGT with few capturing the DOC status, and until the 1990’s they were only vino da tavola), carry a big price tag and are some of the most expensive Italian wines sold. Yet even more challenging than parsing a Super Tuscan’s value is trying to comprehend what exactly a Super-Tuscan wine is.

Italian Wine Merchant clients (and employees as well) are often challenged with trying to understand and articulate a clear definition of a wine that falls under the Super Tuscan comprehension. Maybe the first thing to accept though is that a straight-forward definition for Super Tuscan just doesn’t exist.

However, I wouldn’t leave you off there because even without a clear definition, there are commonly agreed upon guidelines. Generally speaking, Super Tuscans are the most prestigious wines that an estate makes outside of Tuscany’s strict DOC/DOCG standards. They can be made from 100% Sangiovese, but often they either include international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and even Pinot Noir.  These wines also stray from rigid aging requirements and techniques that often plague other esteemed wines grown in Italy (think of the stringent standards for Brunello or Barolo etc).

To get an insider’s handle on the terminology and technicality, I turned to Cinzia Merli from the acclaimed Le Macchiole estate (home of some of the most superior of Super Tuscans—Messorio, Scrio and Paleo) explains her take on Super Tuscans. To Cinzia, the name “Super Tuscan” originally categorized all those wines in the ‘70s and ‘80s without a DOC appellation. Noting that until the ‘80s in Bolgheri only whites and rosé were considered under the “disciplinare,” Cinzia suggests that all the other wines falling outside of these designations got the name Super Tuscans. Cinzia adds her personal insight, “Nowadays Super Tuscans are probably all those high-end, high-quality wines with few quantities.”

Because of the wealth of indigenous grape varieties that call Italy home (all 2,000 plus of them), it seems perhaps a bit indulgent to grow the International varieties that make up Super Tuscans. However, thirty to forty years after the birth of this nickname, we the consumers adore the wines of these popular varieties growing in Tuscany. Still, we might be prompted to ask why producers decided to stray from the ordinary and begin planting these varieties. Cinzia explains:

“We decided to grow international varieties because this area is for sure one of the most suited for grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with expression deeply linked to the territory. The microclimate and the composition of the soil have been more than once considered the second ‘motherland’ for those traditionally considered Bordeaux grapes. For Le Macchiole the decision of producing monovarietal wines is based on the conviction that these could be almost considered ‘native’ varieties and that in this way we have the opportunity to express the terroir at its best.”

And there’s no disputing that these varietals have expressed the terroir of the region best. Super Tuscans, most particularly those hailing from Le Macchiole, have rapidly risen in esteem. No longer do they fight to just challenge Bordeaux’s wines; instead they meet them on a level playing field. Perhaps now it’s time to stir things up a little more; when describing her wines, Cinzia generally considers the estates, Paleo, Scrio and Messorio to be Super Tuscans, “just because they do not ‘follow the rules’ of the DOC law.”

“But,” she adds, “I would better call them ‘terroir wines,” deeply linked to the Bolgheri territory.” Cinzia could be onto something; making terroir, no longer strictly a noun, but an adjective to describe the next big thing in Italian wine.

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Winebar, Burger, and Recent Wines of the Night (WOTN)

Plus, New York Wine Tips

At the recommendation of Melissa, our Creative Director, and in the service of finding  Manhattan’s next amazing wine bar, I stumbled onto an even more elusive find: a great burger and an incredible red.   It was an “OMG,”  “WOTN” and “w00t” discovery, all rolled into one.

I experienced what many of us wine enthusiasts look for –that moment when a little patience is rewarded, and that time when the primary and secondary flavors of a wine have evolved and meshed to create a spectrum of tastes.  The wine in question was a 1996 Sociando-Mallet, and thanks to Bar Henry’s new “Marketplace” approach, you don’t have to pay the full bottle price to have a glass of vintage wine.  Typically, it’s prohibitive to enjoy a respectable thirteen-year-old Bordeaux by the glass at a restaurant. However, when you order half of a bottle of the Sociando-Mallet, Bar Henry opens a fresh bottle, pours half to satisfy your order and then places the remaining half on their “Marketplace” board for others to enjoy. In essence, you are sharing the cost of buying a full bottle of wine. It’s not a bad idea, especially if you are coming in to retrieve the second half after it has had a little time to breathe and open up.

Wine and burgers at Bar Henry

Wine and burgers at Bar Henry

To accompany this unclassified and often unsung wine of Bordeaux’s Left bank, we ordered the La Frieda Burger (named after Patrick La Frieda, the meat master behind some of Manhattan’s landmark burgers at joints such as Shake Shack, Minetta Tavern, among others).  Bar Henry provided a tasty and sizeable burger:  fresh, juicy, perfect for some vino, and a welcomed change from the 2:00AM Corner Bistro-Bud combo. From the Sociando-Mallet, we moved on to the 2006 Tempier Bandol, which could use a decade of aging, some German beers and more. However, this night belonged to Sociando-Mallet; it’s a wine that’s currently peaking and joins my list of value performers or “WOTN” for the month.

The WOTN List:  Value Wines of the Night (December)

1. The 1999 Fontodi Flaccianello: While everyone is focused on buying the 2006s from this Tuscan estate—and with good reason—I have been pouring the 1999. With ten years of age, the wine can be better described as a masculine Brunello. I poured this wine in the company of aged Barolos and single vineyard Pinots for a group of eight enthusiasts two weeks ago.  On tasting the Flaccianello, three of the eight stopped what they were saying, stared backed down in their glass for a second take, and then returned their attention to me to say, “I will take a case of that.” This wine is simply on.

2. The 2001 Castello di Cacchiano Chianti Classico Riserva: It’s the little wine that’s capable of changing the perception of Chianti. While most of us consume the Tuscan red within five years of the vintage date, this is a great example of a Chianti Classico showing maturity and providing tertiary notes of mushroom, underbrush, and cherry.  We poured this wine at a tasting event for 100 guests outside of Philly, with emphatic responses like “what is that?” and “that’s Chianti?” I completely recommend this wine.

3. The 1996 Chateau Sociando-Mallet: Thanks to Bar Henry, I was able to share a half bottle of this with a friend without a premium, and I am now in the process of asking our Wine Acquisitions Director Christy for some bottles to enjoy at home.  This is a classic Bordeaux blend and one of the great values in the overpriced region. I also think this 1996 is great example of how the rating and point system can dissuade enthusiasts from experiencing a great bottle.  This wine over-delivers in price and reviews.  Visit Bar Henry and try this wine while it’s in its moment, and be sure to ask Patric the bartender-sommelier for his well-prepared and seasonally appropriate Tom and Jerry cocktail. It’s the perfect ending for an evening of wine and burgers.

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A Surprise Finish for Sassicaia

Drinking and rethinking the 2002 Vintage

A special week of Sassicaia came to a close as the gavel dropped for Lot #2729 at Saturday’s wine auction in Del Posto.  It was seconds earlier that my wingman lay frozen with paddle phobia in anticipation for the lot on hand: Sassicaia Magnums from the recent 2006 vintage.  What’s so significant about Magnums from a current vintage release? It’s pretty simple. This large format has already become obsolete in this highly sought year of the Super Tuscans. The one—and redundant—insider tip I can share to an aspiring collector is that magnums from cellar staples, like Sassicaia, will significantly out-appreciate standard bottles. For example, two magnums of the iconic 1985 fetched $10,200, not bad for the enthusiast who paid $120 per bottle two decades ago.  While the gunshot sound of the gavel signaled Sassicaia’s close at the podium, it also reaffirmed what IWM preached months ago. Not only does the wine rock on the palate, it excels as an investment.

However, it wasn’t the idea of 2006 Sassicaia showing signs of ‘85 glory that has left a lasting impression on me; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Earlier in the week Piero Incisa della Rocchetta and Monica Soldera joined Sergio Esposito along with twenty guests for a special evening of wines featuring Bodega Chacra, Sassicaia and Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.  For me, this line-up is as thrilling as a concert of Dylan and The Dead.  With 1982 (Sassicaia) and 1990 (Soldera Riserva) joining this unprecedented offering of Italian winemaking royalty, it would be difficult for any bottle to outshine these monuments to Italian wine.  And to no surprise the vintage bottle of Sassicaia drew raving comparisons to Mouton-Rothschild from some guests, while others were left speechless by Soldera’s wines of meditation.

But as the week came to a close, it wasn’t the 2006 Sassicaia auction lot or the historic 1982 that stuck with me; it was the Sassicaia and Soldera media sleepers of 2002 that were placed on the table beside the 1982 and 1990 vintage gems a few nights back.  Piero claims that the wines of this vintage were “a victim of the bastardization by the media,” and to miss these wines because the critics dismissed the 2002 vintage as a whole would be a serious injustice.  In fact, the 2002 Sassicaia in many ways is more representative of the house style that defines Tenuta San Guido, as opposed to the rich and concentrated version Mother Nature provided the media obsessed in 1985.  Sassicaia 2002 provides finesse and accessibility. I have to ask, why crack into the age-ability of 1999, 2001, 2004, or 2005, when 2002 is this good now?

No reason, really. It’s a Sassicaia celebration.

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