Morellino is Sangiovese, the local name for that grape in the coastal Maremma region of Tuscany. In this bottling it’s blended with a small amount of Ciliegiolo, a fruity red that adds friendly lift. The wine was aged for eight months in a mix of used French barriques and tonneaux.
The wood aging and youthful tannins encourage a thirty minute decanting, perhaps even as much as an hour, but after this the wine relaxes in a red-stained smile saturated with cherries and cherry bark, tobacco, and tea. Terrific acidity and squeaky tannins make this definitively a food wine, to be served especially with rich cuts of meats, aged cheeses, charcuterie, smoked whatever. Tasty now, and a few years in the bottle will do it additional good.
13% abv | $15 (sample) | Imported by Dalla Terra
