Showing posts with label sangiovese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sangiovese. Show all posts

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Tuscan Treasure: La Banditaccia Vigna Allegra 2018 Riserva Montecucco Sangiovese



Nestled on the slopes of Mount Amiata, sacred to the Etruscans,La Banditaccia is an organic farm just a stone's throw from the quaint village of Monticello Amiata. This organic farm boasts breathtaking 360-degree views of Tuscany's Val d'Orcia and beyond. Its roots go deep, with records dating back to 1700, showing a longstanding tradition of producing top-notch wine and olive oil.

The Petrecca family, Tuscany lovers, recently took over La Banditaccia. They've poured their hearts into reviving and enhancing the vineyards and ancient olive groves, focusing on quality and integrity. Besides their exquisite wines and extra virgin olive oils, they're now crafting lavender essential oil and soon, even truffles and related products.

This 18th-century estate spans 272 acres, enveloped by olive groves, vineyards, woods, and lavender fields.

La Banditaccia's commitment to purity and excellence shines in their wine, olive oil, and lavender products. It's a testament to their dedication to preserving the natural beauty and bounty of the region.


La Banditaccia Vigna Allegra Riserva 2018 Montecucco Sangiovese - The Sangiovese grapes for this wine are located 500 meters above sea level. Fermented and aged for 14 months in large Slovenian oak vats. Then, in small French wooden barrels.  It was a beautiful wine with aromas of black cherry, dark fruit, and a hint of anise. The palate was full of dark fruit, hint of tobacco, leather, spice with medium plus acidity.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Tuscan Treasure: La Banditaccia Vigna Allegra 2018 Riserva Montecucco Sangiovese




Nestled on the slopes of Mount Amiata, sacred to the Etruscans, La Banditaccia is an organic farm just a stone's throw from the quaint village of Monticello Amiata. This organic farm boasts breathtaking 360-degree views of Tuscany's Val d'Orcia and beyond. Its roots go deep, with records dating back to 1700, showing a longstanding tradition of producing top-notch wine and olive oil.

The Petrecca family, Tuscany lovers, recently took over La Banditaccia. They've poured their hearts into reviving and enhancing the vineyards and ancient olive groves, focusing on quality and integrity. Besides their exquisite wines and extra virgin olive oils, they're now crafting lavender essential oil and, soon, even truffles and related products.

This 18th-century estate spans an impressive 272 acres, enveloped by olive groves, vineyards, woods, and lavender fields.

La Banditaccia's commitment to purity and excellence shines in their wine, olive oil, and lavender products. It's a testament to their dedication to preserving the natural beauty and bounty of the region.


La Banditaccia Vigna Allegra Riserva 2018 Montecucco Sangiovese - This wine's grapes are 500 meters above sea level. Fermented and aged for 14 months in large Slavonian oak vats. Then in small French wooden barrels.

It was a beautiful wine with aromas of black cherry, dark fruit and a hint of anise. The palate was full of dark fruit, hint of tobacco, leather, spice with medium plus acidity.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Grill That Pizza and Pair It With Cecchi




Summer is upon us and the grills are firing up and the company is coming over. Whether you are grilling a steak, pizza or chicken, I have 2 wines that will pair well with grill and company.


Cecchi is one of the oldest and most prominent wine producers in Tuscany. They have been around since 1893. They are a family-owned vineyard that got its start when Luigi Cecchi became a professional wine taster. He understood winemaking and the potential of making wine in Italy. The rest is history.


Today they are crafting wines that showcase the expressions of the family’s vineyards using innovation and sustainability practices.


In case you are wondering how to pronounce the name, it’s CHECK-EE.


The wines below I had with grilled pizza. The Storia di Famiglia we grilled a basic cheese pizza. The Riserva I went all out and made a pizza with red sauce, mozzarella and manchego cheese, chorizo (that I grilled first then sliced) topped with spinach and red onion tossed in olive oil. While the first pizza was a success (my husband the Italian made it) the second pizza was a fail. I couldn’t get it off the board because I didn’t put enough flour on it and it stuck to the board. So we made it a calzone, but we couldn’t flip it on the stone on the grill and the stone broke. We finished it in the oven and it was very good but didn’t look pretty (hence, no picture). The wine paired perfectly for both pizzas.


2019 Cecchi Chainti Classico Storia di Famiglia DOCG SRP $20 - This wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% other red varietals. The vineyards are with an elevation of 250 meters. The wine spent 12 months in wooden casks and two months in the bottle before released. Aromas of red raspberry, black cherry, a hint of rose petal lead to a palate with nice rounded tannins and notes of plum, red raspberry and dark spice on the finish.


2015 Chianti Classico Riserva di Famiglia DOCG SRP $32 - This Chianti is 90$ Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.Ruby red in color with brickish undertones. Grown in estate vineyards that had an elevation of 250 meters. The wine spent 12 months in oak casks and three months in the bottle before release. Smooth and elegant with hints of earth, black raspberry, tannins dancing on your palate and lingering notes of cassis on the finish.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Winephabet Street S is for Sangiovese


Welcome to Winephabet Street Season 1 Episode 19 S is for Sangiovese. Winephabet Street is a monthly series where Lori Budd of Draceana Wines and I work our way through the alphabet exploring wine and wine regions on letter at a time. The show is live on the third Monday at 8pm and is free, but you must register to attend. Put it on your calendar, pour yourself a glass of wine and hang out with us. Because I was traveling this episode aired on Saturday, January 26.

Sangiovese, what is the first thing that comes to your mind. Me, pizza, because it’s my go to pizza wine, or actually any type of Italian food. Tuscany is home to the Sangiovese gape and it goes under various descriptions.
  • Chianti
  • Chianti Classico
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Vino Nobile di Montepulcian

For this episode I tasted a 2014 Chianti Classico Storia di Famiglia from Cecchi that was given to me as a sample. Checchi is one of the most prominent producers in Tuscany and was established in 1893.



The wine is 90% Sangiovese and I am not sure what the other 10% is. It spent 12 months in wooden casks and 2 months in the bottle. It was light in body and had nice acidity with some spice on the nose and integrated tannis throughout. Flavors of red fruit,, cherry, plum, raspberry with hints of licorice. I believe this retails for about $21

Sit back and learn with us about the Sangiovese grape. Listen to the podcast or watch the webinar.

Don’t forget to register for February’s episode on Tannat. You can register here: https://events.genndi.com/channel/tannat

We are seeking you help in coming up with the letter U. Any good ideas for what we should cover email me at hvwinegoddess@gmail.com

Webinar




Podcast


Saturday, July 5, 2008