The Land Park Pirate Pumpkin

Happy Sunday from Bagno di Gavorrano, the name of the small city where I am currently staying and working. It is a charming place in the heart of the Maremma in Southern Tuscany. Many great wines are coming out of this area these days, definitely an up and coming region for Italy. Look for wonderful ‘Bordeaux’ style blends, very fascinating Sangiovese wines (here also known as Morellino), robust Syrah, and great new whites like one of my favorites-Vermentino.

Also real quick-Go San Francisco Giants! As I am writing this it is the morning of Sunday the 31st, Happy Halloween, and they are to my knowledge up 2-0.
Today I write my blog to help catch up to present day and would like to tell you about the first of two enoteca/trattoria spots that I visited in Lucca on my short stay there. Today’s is my ‘lunch’ spot; the next will be the dinner spot.

Marsti Costantino Enoteca/Wine Bar, Piazza San Michele

I discovered this spot upon my wanderings through the old walled city, and is located conveniently enough on the most famous Piazza in Lucca, where the Towered Duomo resides. If you have been there you know it, if you haven’t yet, you cannot miss it. I had a glass of wine and a bite to eat both days I was in the city. To eat, a simple plate of bruschetta, cut into 4, with the bread slice being about the size of a football. Half topped with fresh pomodoro (tomato), one quarter with fresh mozzarella cheese, and the last quarter with a spice blend. All for 5 Euro!

Day 1 Wine: (Vino) Nobile di Montepulciano D.O.C.G.
Names and vintages were not given on the menu, only types/regions, and I was not so concerned as to inquire. This is a Tuscan win from the city of Montepulciano, located east of Siena and to the south of Chianti Classico. The wine itself is interesting, given its history which goes back hundreds of years, and has been recognized as one of the best in Tuscany as well as Italy. It was a noble wine for the courts, hence the name. Made from a majority of Sangiovese ‘prugnolo gentile,’ which is a bigger sized berry than what is traditionally used in many Chianti, it is also often blended with the likes of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon these days to bolster its palate.
The wine was day-bright with a youthful garnet color, medium concentration with a slightly fading rim. A touch of sediment, most likely unfiltered, and a moderate viscosity with the faint staining of its legs. The nose was very consistent with a Sangiovese dominant wine, but a little darker because of the blending. Warm dark cherries and some plum, also a reminiscent aroma of the ripe red olives I encountered from the Cinque Terre a few days before. A nice dark earthy quality also crept into the background of this wine. A dry wine with a medium body and a medium finish, complimented by moderate acidity and soft tannins. Pleasant indeed. My guess is that it was a 2007 vintage and had some Merlot added to round out the finish. I would like a warm pot of stewed meat and vegetables with it on a cold rainy day-like today!

Day 2 Wine: Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C.
Again, had the same bruschetta plate and wanted to try another of Tuscany’s wonderful reds. Montalcino is a small hilltop village just to the southeast of Siena, right across the river basically. It is most famous for the wine Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. which was one of the original 4 D.O.C.G.'s of Italy back in 1980, Nobile di Montepulciano was Here we are talking about a special type of Sangiovese, the Brunello clone, which has a long storied history in Montalcino. The Rosso version, which I was drinking, comes from the lower vineyards which are not as prized, but still make wonderful wines. Like the Brunello’s this wine must be 100% Sangiovese from the same clone. The difference is that a Brunello must be aged a minimum of 5 years, whereas the Rosso only 1 year. Basically you drink the Rosso waiting for the Brunello proper to mature.
Star-bright garnet color with a darker ruby at the core, a bit deeper concentration than the Nobile with some rim variation forming. No gas or sediment here. The legs are moderate and a very light staining is occurring. The nose is clean with a moderate intensity; already I notice it is a bit deeper than the Nobile. The fruits are very similar is their darkness, but there is more secondary flavors of some chocolate and black liquorice. There is a faint note of some of the oak used, but it is more woodsy than smoky, and I believe only some larger older oak barrels, nothing close to the small French barrique. A clean dry palate with medium plus acid and a little more tannin than the Nobile as well as a slightly warmer mouth feel, could be a little more alcohol here due to a warmer climate. The same fruits are there in their dark form and more of the dark warm earth components of the soil reveal themselves. Definitely the bigger style of Sangiovese of the big three. Again here, a warm pot of stew or a nice big piece of grilled beef would be Heaven.

A fun game/test for you would be to find 3 bottles of Tuscany Sangiovese, a Chianti, a Nobile di Montepulciano, and a Montalcino wine and try them side by side. Spend about the same on each bottle and see which you like the best. Okay there is your homework, enjoy.


Salute!