Piero Lanza, Sangiovese Superstar

My First Winery Visit To Italy 2009

My first time ever in Italy and my very first winery couldn’t have been a better experience. Above is Brother and Sister Piero and Benedetta Lanza of Fattoria Poggerino in the town of Radda in Chianti. It’s a bed and breakfast too so you can go visit and they rent out apartments for longer stays. Piero is 100% Wine. Benedetta manages the B&B and cooks up some great authentic rustic dishes from veggies and herbs out of their organic gardens. Their grapes are 100% organic as well. Piero is one amazing and very serious  oenologist and agronomist. I never learned so much about the science of wine than from this artist. His Chianti Classicos are all 100% Sangiovese with his Riservas coming from the oldest vines. 

Super Tuscans I.G.T.

Many times an Italian Winemaker especially in Tuscany wants to be more creative and not have to follow the strict rules of the D.O.C.G (The people in charge lol ) and they declassify the wine out of Chianti or Chianti Classico laws to an I.G.T. (Typical wines in this Geography ) so they can either add some French Grapes like Syrah or Cabernet Franc or Merlot or even in this case 100% Sangiovese with younger vines than accepted by laws and also age it the way they want. IL LABIRINTO ( A Labyrinth or Maze). This vintage is 2015 and is retailing at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits currently at $16.99

The Review 

The color was typical well extracted Sangiovese. Dark ruby or garnet and star bright. Very perfumed with strong aromas of cherry tart with floral accents. On the palate a very medium to full body consistency and jumps right out of the glass with super powerful cherry and red currants, black pepper spice and hints of nutmeg, mace and earth. The tannins are sweet and not drying like a Chianti and the lip smacking cherry, licorice, spice flavors linger on for at least a minute. This wine was aged in Fiberglass. No Oak, No Concrete. 

Summary

If you are anti-chianti this is for you. If you think Rosso Di Montalcino  is too light than this is for you. If you can’t afford a Brunello di Montalcino (that’s me) this wine is for you. This wine brought me back to 2009 and tasting Poggerino Wines, and sleeping in their quaint rooms and waking up to the most amazing breakfasts with eggs with Dark, Dark, Dark, Yellow Yolks and my first “Ribolitta Soup” made with organic veggies and herbs right out of their garden, all cooked up by Benedetta who has been managing that side of Poggerino since 1988. I remember walking in the vineyards and listening to the science of Chianti and Sangiovese from the Superstar himself Piero Lanza. It was that very first glass of their wines that made me fall in love with Italian Wines and for $16.99 you will taste the reason why. 

Go Big or Go Home

This is Stefano Cutrupi. He helps Piero in the cellars and vineyards and also manages the organic vegetables and farming on the property. The year I was there he is in the Italian Record Books and I got to see why with my own eyes….

That’s right!! He grew the largest Pumpkin in Italy and it weighed in at 507 Kilograms. For those of you in America that is 1,174 POUNDS!! Don’t Panic it’s Organic  like their wines. Cin Cin!!

Grape-fully yours, Larry