Wine Without Numbers: 2006 Sangiovese

About this Blog

The blog focuses on the essence of wine and food, not how many points or stars it receives. The opinions are mine and should be taken only as that, an opinion not gospel.

Like many collectors, initially I was very much influenced by wine ratings. I purchased wines based on points, even if I had never tasted the wine. And it was much worse than that. I would drink a wine with a high rating, not like it, yet since it was highly rated I’d rationalize that I did not yet appreciate the wine, or that my palate was not sophisticated enough to understand the wine. How’s that for lunacy? As a result my cellar grew in all directions while my palate narrowed. By the time I realized the style of wine that I enjoyed, my cellar abounded with wines whose styles I did not enjoy. All of these wines were very highly rated, just not my cup of tea, or glass of wine to be more accurate. Fortunately I was able to sell many of these wines to those who either enjoyed them or wanted highly rated wines. Don’t misunderstand, I am not against wines with high ratings, in fact I own many. It is just that I now purchase wines based on the producer, the style and my palate, not the rating. Nor do I shun reading reviews. I very much respect Antonio Galloni, Alan Meadows, Eric Asimov and John Gilman and read their reviews routinely. I pay attention to what they write, not the points they award.

Friday, September 7, 2018

2006 Sangiovese

Last month our local wine group met at Viaggio Ristorante in Wayne, NJ for a dinner featuring the 2006 vintage of Sangiovese based wines from Tuscany. All the wines were provided by group member Jim. Viaggio is a farm to table restaurant with a Tuscan flare. The food is creative and well prepared, but a bit too rich for my palate.

I think the comments from the Vinous website on the 2006 vintage are well stated:

Chianti

“Consistently stunning, full-bodied wines loaded with super-ripe fruit, but with plenty of stuffing underneath. In many cases the wines were made in the last month or so of the growing season, particularly in Chianti Classico, where warm daytime temperatures alternated with cool evenings. These conditions extended the grapes’ hang time and allowed the fruit to reach full phenolic ripeness while achieving maximum development of aromatics, acidity and structure. Growers had the luxury and peace of mind to harvest without being rushed. In a few spots producers reported harvesting into October, particularly for the Sangioveses. The 2006s will be tempting to drink young for their opulent fruit, but the best wines have the potential to age gracefully for many years. Since their initial release, many of the higher-end 2006s have begun to close down, so readers will want to approach these wines with caution. If the vintage has a weak spot it is the dry tannins that show up in a few wines where the warm conditions did not allow growers to achieve the level of sweetness and ripeness in the tannins that was evident in 2004.”

Brunello di Montalcino

“The 2006 Brunellos are big, powerful wines with beautifully delineated aromatics, great concentration of fruit and plenty of structure. There are significant differences between the northern and southern parts of the zone, once again demonstrating that Montalcino really must be considered as a group of smaller appellations. The wines of the north are generally more linear, focused and aromatic, while the wines of the south tend to favor a riper, warmer expression of fruit. The summer was hot, but temperatures did not reach the extremes of years such as 2003. Spells of rain in late August and early September refreshed the grapes and slowed down their maturation cycle, always a positive for Montalcino. Growers picked under gorgeous fall weather. Once again, very few Riservas are worth the money. In fact, in most cases, the regular bottlings are aging more gracefully than the Riservas.”

Jim started us off with a white wine from Angelo Gaja, 2016 Gaja Ca’ Marcanda Vistamare Toscana IGT. A blend of 60% Vermentino and 40% Viognier, fermented separately. The Vermentino is aged in stainless steel tanks while the Viognier is aged in oak (Barrique?) casks for 6 months. Typical of Gaja wines I found this on the modern side with a fair amount of oak on the palate. Not my cup of tea.

2006 Felsina Chianti Classico Rancia Riserva. 100% Sangiovese. After the quality-selected clusters are de-stemmed and pressed, the must is fermented and macerated in stainless steel for 16-20 days at 28°C and 30°C, with programmed punch downs and daily pumpovers. In March-April, the new wine goes into new French oak barrels; after 18-20 months of maturation, the final blend is assembled, bottled, and ages in glass a minimum of 6-8 months. Felsina wines, while aged in new oak barrels, integrates the oak very well and as a result it never dominates the palate. The wine was fantastic, with bright ripe fruit, great acidity and balance and a lengthy, delicious finish. This was my WOTN and pretty much the consensus WOTN of the group.

2006 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino. 100% Sangiovese Grosso. Ultra modern wine with oak dominating the palate. A far cry from the Rancia. I have never been a fan of this producer.

2006 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino. 100% Sangiovese Grosso that was fermented in cement and aged for three years in Slavonian oak casks. Runner up to the Rancia, in my opinion. Nice balance and complexity here with a lengthy and elegant finish.

2006 Conti Constanti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. 100% Sangiovese Grosso. 48 months. 18 months in tonneaux, 18 months in Slavonian oak wooden barrels and 12 months in bottle. A nice wine that I felt was a bit tight and should benefit from an additional few years in the cellar.