Il Bacchino Wine Bar

Il Bacchino Wine Bar


Massa Marittima (GR) Maremma

Visited 17-11-2010

The town of Massa Marittima is a scene taken out of history. The view up to the wall city I imagine would have looked quite similar centuries ago, and the views from within looking out spans olive orchards, seas of grape vines and lush green farmland all the way down to the sandy coast. Walking the sleepy streets with the lunchtime hour fast approaching one really gets the idea that this is what old world Tuscany is all about. Narrow streets with high walled buildings weave and wind through the walled center, all leading to the Duomo and main piazza. The store fronts are simple and inviting, and the people have a feel about them that is pure and untarnished. Other than the influx of tourism in the summertime months, Massa Marittima appears to my spectacled eyes to have avoided the spoilings of present day excess.

Right off of the main via from the Duomo, Il Bacchino is hard to miss, just look for the wine barrel sitting out front of the door. Once inside a great wall of wine bottles flanks the left while a wealth of delicious meats and cheeses call to you from the display case on the right. One thing I noticed right away was the diversity of the wines for retail once inside, of course a wide array of Maremman, Tuscan, and Italian; but also a selection of French wines as well as a smattering of some other classics including one of my favorite cult wines Chateau Musar from the Lebanon. The owner, Magdy, and his wife Monica are very friendly and gracious in the traditional Italian style. They also speak English quite fluently which is of course a great help to me. We arranged a tasting of different wines from Maremma so as to get the opportunity to smell and taste the differences side-by-side.

A great treat to accompany the wine tasting was a tasting of an olive oil from the 2010 vintage. Capezzana Olio di Olivo Nuova 2010 was like nothing I have ever encountered before in the states. It was the greenest oil I have ever seen, truly eluding to its freshness, and had a wonderful aroma and a taste that was both creamy and spicy on the finish.

1) Fattoria Magliano ‘Heba’ Morellino di Scansano D.O.C.G. 2008

Starbright dark ruby color with a clear medium concentration and soft tears tinged with soft staining. Fruit forward with red berries like raspberries and cherries as well as some red rose petals and soft red earth notes. Medium bodied with light tannins and moderate acidity on a moderately long finish. A tinge of anise spice crept in on the back of the nose and the finish here as well. Sangiovese is the majority grape, as are all Morellino di Scansano D.O.C.G. wines.

http://www.fattoriadimagliano.it/index2.html

2) Piandibugnano ‘Cucaia’ Montecucco D.O.C. 2008

Starbright dark ruby color with a clear medium concentration with a youthful rim and a touch lighter staining than the ‘Heba’ Morellino. Dark rip strawberry fruits freshly made into a jam are complimented here by a dark floral note and a touch of peppercorns. There is also a strong essence of earth on the nose in the form of the dry crumbly rocky soil common in the Montecucco area. There are also some dark plums that wake up on the palate which is dry, with more tannin structure and a fuller mouth feel than the Morellino. The finish is longer also due to the balance and the preserved moderate level of acidity here. Sangiovese is the majority grape reinforced with Merlot.

http://www.piandibugnano.com/Inglese/index.htm

3) Le Macchiole Bolgheri D.O.C. 2008

Bolgheri is the Northern part of the Maremma, so in the tasting we went south, then east, and finish here in the North. This is the most famous of the Maremma regions, with wines of great regard being produced for decades now with alluring names like Sassicaia, Solaia, and Ornellaia. The wine is daybright with a purple color clear with a high concentration level, almost non-transparent. The rim variation is very minimal and the staining of the tears is more pronounced here. The aromas of this wine are indeed youthful and still tight needing more refinement in the bottle to reveal its bouquet. What was distinguishable was blackberries and dark chocolate accented by sweet vanillin and cigar smoke, that kiss of French oak quality. Currants and black cherries woke up in the mouth and the wine showed a higher intensity of flavors than the first two, including a new leather quality. The tannins were bigger and still tightly wound, but there was good acidity as well which smoothed out this wines long finish. With some time I’m sure this wine will mature into a great selection and begin to show more of the earthy/minerally complexities that it is currently hiding in its youth. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Sangiovese.

http://www.lemacchiole.it/index.php?lingua=en

Thank you again very much to Il Bacchino Wine Bar for such a great tasting through three different Maremman wines. It was a perfect way to begin to understand how these wines are similar but so very different and unique at the same time.

For information regarding the wines of the Maremma and/or Tuscany including high class luxury wine and golf tours and holidays in the Tuscany region visit the website of the premier tour company, www.maremmaevents.com to begin planning your next vacation. Salute!