Hello all; how was the weekend? I hear the weather throughout California has been quite warm and so I do hope that you all took the opportunity to get out and have some fun outdoors. Its Sunday night here for me in Bagno di Gavorrano, and the rain that was threatened did finally show up around sunset. A good days worth of work has me relaxing-just fine with me. The whole weekend was warm sunny weather here and yesterday I spent the day in Follonica on the coast. Nothing better than a good pasta lunch and a nap on the beach, reminds me of the good old simple Santa Cruz days.
So today’s blog will cover the first installment of my firsthand experiences of the wines of the Magical Maremma as I have come to see this area of Tuscany as such. In my studies I have seen this area referred to as the ‘California of Italy’ or the ‘El Dorado of Italy.’ All I know is that it is warm and green with a healthy amount of vineyards, olive groves, and passionate wine people.
The wine I will focus on is a great expression of the new international ideal of the direction of the wines of Maremma. Most everyone knows that Tuscany is Sangiovese country, from the Chianti regions to the Brunello’s of Montalcino this is the king of grapes. Many have been experimenting for some time though with international grapes, mainly the Bordeaux varietals and Syrah, for some time. Cabernet Sauvignon actually has a few hundred years of history in Tuscany. These are the cleverly coined ‘Supertuscans,’ wines that for a long time did not and have not fit into the traditional molds of Italian wine laws. Bolgheri/Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC was the first to change that back in 1984 Today’s wine is Muralia.
Societa Agricola Muralia ‘Muralia’ Maremma Toscana IGT 2006
A fairly new winery located in Roccastrada (Gr), the 2006 bottling was actually their 1st vintage produced. The main varietals planted are Sangiovese and Syrah, along with some other selections of grapes used to enhance the aromatics of blends. The bottle tasted is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese. I do not have the percentages to list, but the literature I do have present lists them in that order-which is the order I would have to guess for the composition. Fermentation in steel tanks followed by maturation in Barrique for 14 months and another 9 months to refine in the bottle.
The wine is bright with a slight opaque core, Inky purple color with a high concentration (non transparent). The rim variation is forming notably with a softening of the concentration. Medium plus viscosity with heavily stained tears. A touch of sediment from bottle aging noticeable, especially towards the bottom.
The nose is clean with a medium intensity, which woke up with some time in the glass. Fresh black fruits like currants and plums complimented with dark chocolate shavings and a cold dark earthy element on the nose. Also a hint of vanillin lingered on the nose, a sure sign of the French oak barrique.
A clean, balanced, well made wine on the palate. The flavors are confirmed with the fruit taking a back seat to the secondary aromas. The earthiness and an inky florality wake up and the dark chocolate is still firm. Also the oak influence reemerges on the long finish. This is a full bodied wine with a thick palate-not syrupy- but with firm tannins and soft acids. The alcohol, 14%, is a bit noticeable on the finish as a lingering warmth, but it is not displeasing. I definitely liked the wine and it showed just as well the second night of it being open.
This is a great time of year in Maremma because it’s the heart of hunting season. Most everyone knows of the famous Cinghiale (Wild Boar), but another treat is Lepre (Hare). We had a Lepre Ragu with pasta followed by the traditional cheese course and it was Heavenly. Slowed cooked game/meat stew or a nice piece of red meat is harmonious here. Welcome to Maremma and Salute!
Webpage in English:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.muralia.it/&ei=Vh3XTJujJ8_2sgaxmO3dCA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmuralia.it%26hl%3Den%26prmd%3Div
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