“Anteprime di Toscana” 2023, in the glasses the oenological kaleidoscope of the “Other Tuscany”

The “Anteprime di Toscana” 2023 closes with a day dedicated to the “Other Tuscany”, that of the less famous appellations, but no less rich in beauty and charm, in the territories and in the glasses and that tell of that “hidden” and different Tuscan wine that goes to enrich the wine proposal of the Region.
The “Other Tuscany” of wine basically represents an oenological universe made up of 12 DOC/Docg/Igt protection consortia: Carmignano, Chianti Rufina, Colline Lucchesi, Cortona, Maremma Toscana, Montecucco, Orcia, Suvereto and Val di Cornia, Terre di Casole, Terre di Pisa, and Valdarno di Sopra, Toscana. An oenological kaleidoscope where, just to give a few examples, the tastings open up suggestions far beyond the glass: a Valdarno di Sopra also refers to the landscape of the Mona Lisa, a Carmignano to the Medici Villas, the wines of Maremma and Montecucco to the wildest nature of the coast. While with an Orcia we find ourselves in the midst of one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes, a Unesco heritage site, and with a Cortona label we can think back to Signorelli's frescoes or, tasting a Colline Lucchesi to the walls of Lucca and with a Terre di Pisa, evidently, to the regal bearing of the seafaring city’s tower. And again: some of these appellations, wrongly called “minor”, for example in the case of Carmignano, Valdarno di Sopra and Chianti Rufina, are areas with ancient history, already present in the Bando of Cosimo III de’ Medici.
An event that, under the aegis of Francesco Mazzei at the head of the association “The Other Tuscany” and president of the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of the Tuscan Maremma, is making a journey to promote the environmental, geological, climatic, viticultural and oenological diversities that enrich Tuscany and represent excellences and peculiarities still partly to be discovered, very often, made by wineries with a smaller average size than the large denominations and where the vineyard is managed with great care, often under an organic or biodynamic regime. “The Other Tuscany”, suggests Mazzei, 'is a project that, on the one hand, with the union, gives an image impact to the wines of these consortia and, on the other hand, with a unique offer in terms of variety, also meets the needs of operators who are constantly looking for novelties to propose to increasingly curious consumers. More than 10 million bottles are put on the market on average each year by these realities. A rich fresco of oenological styles, dominated by Sangiovese, but also capable of proposing less widespread ancient vines or wines in which international varieties follow a completely original path, both on the white and red sides. The leading appellations, in fact, are produced in very different areas of Tuscany, from the hilly areas around Lucca to those south of Pisa, which from San Miniato almost touch the coast, from the small area west of Siena around Casole d’Elsa to the Maremma of Grosseto and the Amiata area of Montecucco, from the Rufina area northeast of Florence along the course of the Sieve River to the small area west of Florence between Poggio a Caiano and Carmignano, from the beautiful Val d’Orcia to the Val di Chiana with the hills of Valdarno di Sopra between Florence and Arezzo to the hills of Cortona beyond the Canale Maestro della Chiana, almost lapping Lake Trasimeno.
So many viticultural enclaves, from which WineNews extrapolated the 20 best tastings. Good overall sensations in the tasting of Carmignano Riserva 2020 from Le Farnete, with well-profiled aromas on fruit and spices and a juicy and tendentially sweet mouthfeel, with a crescendoing finish. Piaggia’s Carmignano Il Sasso 2021 is convincing, with intense, lush aromas of red fruits and smoky tones. In the mouth, the wine is mouthwatering and enveloping. Beautiful is the aromatic interplay between small red fruits and smoky hints in Frascole’s Chianti Rufina 2021, with a savory and responsive taste. The Chianti Rufina Vigneto Bucerchiale Riserva 2020 from Fattoria Selvapiana never disappoints, with refined fruity aromas accompanying a solid and tasty flavor development. Rustic but intriguing style for Tenuta di Valgiano’s Colline Lucchesi Palistorti 2021, with earthy aromas and a savory, continuous flavor progression. Dark fruit, but also references to pepper and chestnuts in the nose of Stefano Amerighi's Cortona Syrah 2021 with a taste development of beautiful energy and temperament. Nice paced sip for Fabrizio Dionisio’s Cortona Syrah Linfa 2021, with clean aromas of spices, red fruit and touches of herbs. Intriguing in its Mediterranean character is the Maremma Grenache Oltreconfine 2020 from the Bruni brothers, with a nose that alternates sweet red and black fruit with touches of flint, with nice balsamic note to finish. In the mouth, the sip is juicy, satisfying and not without energy. Clean and fragrant are the aromas of Sassotondo’s Maremma Ciliegiolo Monte Calvo 2021, with a well-profiled mouthfeel, lively tannins and a solid finish. It possesses scents of flowers, field herbs and smoky touches in Basile's Montecucco Sangiovese Carta Canta 2019, with a full and continuous flavor. Refined is the olfactory profile of Tenuta Sanoner’s 2019 Orcia Sangiovese Aetos, which is echoed by a graceful, savory and dynamic sip. Solid in aromas and convincing on the palate is the 2019 Orcia Saltamacchia from La Nascosta, the Mastrojanni family estate. Powerful but well profiled the 2020 Syrah Sogno Mediterraneo from Tenuta Casadei with aromas of dark fruits, spices and a full and intense taste. Very fine phrasing for the sip of Tenute Pietro Caciorgna’s Terre di Casole Sangiovese Alberaia 2019, which smells of small red fruits and coffee dust. Flowing in its gustatory development is Beconcini’s Terre di Pisa Maurleo 2020, with fragrant and well-focused aromas. Beautiful tannic texture, earthy and savory, distinguishes the taste development of Petrolo's Valdarno di Sopra Sangiovese Boggina B Riserva 2020, with intense and inviting aromas. The Caberlot from Il Carnasciale remains an absolute benchmark. Made from an original grape variety (Cabernet+Merlot), which precisely among the hills of Valdarno has found its ideal habitat, it reveals, even in its 2019 version, its unmistakable aromatic spectrum that goes from ivy to spices, from herbaceous to slightly smoky tones, accompanying a rhythmic and well-proportioned sip.
Three white wines, to close on a high note: Tenuta Belguardo’s Maremma Vermentino Code V 2021, with a nose on yellow fruits with citrusy touches and lovely menthol note to finish. Juicy, persistent and with a good sweet-acid contrast; Maremma Sauvignon Gessaia 2022 from Tenuta Montauto, fine in its olfactory texture on the floral, with slightly herbaceous touches and citrus references, to anticipate a basically fragrant mouthfeel, with a warm touch that makes itself felt in the finish from the fruity and floral returns; the Maremma Vermentino Marmato 2022 by Terre dell’Etruria, a nose that smells of tropical fruit but especially of linden flowers, accompanying a savory, smooth and continuous sip.