Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A rich but transparent red, the 2021 Le Pievi (50% Merlot and an even split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese) is quite attractive and expressive on opening, with pure aromas of red cherry liqueur, candied roses, fresh thyme, and dusty earth. Offering both freshness and gamey richness, with medium to full body, it takes on more mineral richness than the nose would suggest, including iron-rich notes of liver, ripe tannins, and a long finish. I expected this to be a quaffer of a wine, but it certainly holds court as a style that will hold up over time, with rich tannins and notes of high-quality tobacco on the finish.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.