A taste of Tuscany to chase away the pandemic blues (#ItalianFWT)

Imagine yourself on a terrace in sunny Tuscany – carefree, relaxed, sipping a deep and complex wine, and nibbling on meats and cheeses with fresh homemade bread. In your pandemic dreams (or are they nightmares), right?

For a few savory moments, I felt almost there. Using up a couple of yeast packets and some good-quality Italian flour, I threw together my first homemade focaccia. With a salami and cheese plate and a luscious Montecucco Rossi Riserva, the meal was complete – and heavenly. Heaven. Tuscany. Is there a difference?

Montecucco is a wine region in southern Tuscany that produces Sangiovese-based wines. These high-quality wines are less known than Brunello or Montalcino, but they favorably on price to their Tuscan neighbors – and they’re just as delicious.

The Italian Wine, Food and Travel bloggers are traveling around Italy this month to explore the many iterations of Sangiovese, arguably the country’s signature grape. If reading this in time, hope you can join us June 6 (8 am PT/11 am ET) on Twitter by following the #ItalianFWT hashtag.

The winery

Castello ColleMassari is located in Cinigiano, a municipality in southern Tuscany, about 60 miles south of Florence. The estate extends over 3,000 acres in the Montecucco Denominazione di Origine (DOC) wine region – about 300 of which are under vine, over 200 acres of olive groves, and approximately 1,000 dedicated to mixed crops. The rest is forest.

Though it looks like a medieval castle ColleMassari was originally more like a fortified hamlet. It was built by Cistercian monks and the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital in Siena in the 8th century. In the Middle Ages, the term “massari” referred to a complex agricultural organization, with the main farmhouse located in the middle and called a “massa.”

ColleMassari winery was founded in 1998 by siblings Maria Iris and Claudio Tipa, who have since expanded with two more estates, Grattamacco in Bolgheri and Poggio di Sotto in Montalcino. Montecucco’s steep and hilly vineyards get good ventilation from their orientation toward the coast. The owners use (or is in the process of converting to) Istituto Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA)-certified organic farming practices. Soils are composed of five different types: cracked sandstone, sea gravel, limestone and clay, red clay, and clay loam.

Grape varieties include, among the reds, 80% Sangiovese, 9% Ciliegiolo, 6% Montepulciano, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes are 85% Vermentino and 15% Grechetto. The estate also produces a virgin olive oil and a Grappa.

Of particular note is the design of the cellar on four vertical levels to allow for energy-efficient and gentle gravity flow of grapes and fermenting juice without the need for pumps.

The wine – 2014 Castello ColleMassari Rosso Riserva Montecucco DOC
80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Grapes are grown in vineyards located almost 1,000 feet above the sea. Soils are sandstone with marl, ferrous and limestone, loamy soils, as well as gravel deposits. The wine is fermented in stainless-steel tanks. Following malolactic fermentation to convert the harsh malic acid into soft lactic acid, the riserva ages for 18 months in oak barrels and barriques (50% new, 50% used two or three times) and a further 12 months in bottle.

My tasting notes: Deep ruby red with purplish tones. Complex aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum, violet, tar, and hints of smoke and ripe bell pepper. On the palate, I get spice tea upfront followed by sour cherry candy on the midpalate and vanilla on the back end. Structured, with a backbone to withstand further aging. Medium+ acidity. Medium body. Medium+ finish. Lip-smacking good. Alcohol: 14%. Price: $26.99.

The pairing

As mentioned, the pairing was heavenly – a 5-star WOW in my book.

I found this quick and easy focaccia recipe that has just the right proportion of ingredients. My only change was to leave it in the oven for an extra 5-7 minutes. Perhaps you could add sliced black olives and Roma tomatoes to the top, but that’s not necessary. The focaccia was toasty brown, light, and airy. The meats and cheeses had the fat and protein to balance tannins in this structured Sangiovese blend. More, please!

Hope you will check out all the posts below and join us June 6 for the chat.

• Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camila is sharing Piadina Margherita + Bucci Piceno Pongelli 2014 
• Terri of Our Good Life served up Spatchcocked Chicken And Sangiovese 
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass is talking about “A taste of Tuscany to chase away the pandemic blues”
• Susannah of Avvinare is “Exploring Sangiovese di Romagna.”
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles is sharing “Sangiovese by another name…like Morellino or Prugnolo Gentile.“
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator is visiting “5 Sangiovese, 4 terroir, 3 producers, 2 regions, 1 country” 
• Cindy of Grape Experiences is sharing “Tuscan Wine and Food Classics: Ruffino Chianti Superiore 2017 and Paglia e Fieno (Straw & Hay)” 
• Jane of Always Ravenous is tempting us with “Tasting Tuscan Sangiovese Paired with Comforting Pot Roast“
• Katrina of The Corkscrew Concierge is Exploring Sangiovese – Rosso di Montalcino Paired with a Summer Classic
• Katarina of Grapevine Adventures is talking about Tuccanese – A Sangiovese From a Pugliese Perspective
• Nicole of Somm’s Table is sharing three B’s with us today “Brunello, a Book, and a Boston Butt: Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo Brunello di Montalcino with Italian Braised Pork
• Jennifer of Vino Travels says “Montecucco: Tuscany’s Hidden Gem featuring ColleMassari”
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm thinks A Sangiovese by any other name is still a Dang Good Wine.