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 7th edition of the 11 different Tuscan Consortiums
There are 16 consortia participating in the annual event of ‘Wine Tuscany’. Saturday, 11th February saw the tasting of 11 of the 16 Consortiums of Tuscany-participating together for the 7th year. The event took place at the vast Fortezza da Basso – Cavanaglia, which shared the space with a clothing exhibition. Although there were hundreds of wines, we only occupied a small portion in one gigantic room.
 These 11 Consortia were: Morellino di Scansano, Montecucco, Maremma Toscana, Cortona, Carmignano, Valdarna di Sopra, Bianco di Pitigliano e Sovana, Orcia, Val di Cornia and Isola d’Elba. The five to follow during the following one week were Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Brunello di Montalcino and Sant’Antimo.
Each Consortium had its own table and stand and list of wines; one was free to taste all day entirely as one wished. At 11.00 there was a Conference with Marco Remaschi (Tuscany Region Agricultural Councillor). Somehow it did not seem to go anywhere and discussion of Trump’s protectionist policy left us none the wiser. Nonetheless there was a great turnout. A simple standing-up lunch was served, followed by a guided tasting of one wine from each of the 11 Consortia by a professional lady sommelier, but sadly it was not a patch on the two brilliant tastings of last year. The lady discovered the same mixed bag of fruit, flowers and spices in all the wines!
Producers were happy, attendance was greater than expected and the result was a resounding success.
Chianti Lovers
 This has been now the name given to the massive tasting of Chianti on the second day (Sunday). It was also in the Fortezza da Basso, but in a different section. The 2016 vintage and the 2014 Riserva were on show. Here I met a lot of old friends and made some new ones. Chianti production lies in the provinces of Arezzo, Firenze, Pisa, Pistoia and Siena.
Chianti may NOT be made within the controlled and defined area of Chianti Classico. If applicable “Colli Aretini”, “Colli Fiorentini”, “Colli Senesi”, “Colline Pisane”, “Montalbano”, “Rufina” and “Montespertoli” may be added to the term Chianti. There is also of course “Superiore”. Chianti obtained its DOCG status in 1984. Two separate sets of regulations for Chianti and Chianti Classico were published in 1996. For Chianti, the wines must contain a minimum of 70% Sangiovese.
The lunch and dinner was more a display of bits and pieces than a meal, but the hospitality of the growers was splendiferous. 158 producers were showing their wines from all the regions of Chianti. During the day, the stands were visited by some 3,000 tasters. Many were also showing “Vin Santo del Chianti” and a few their “Colli del’Etruria Centrale”. The organisation was smooth and efficient and the event a decided success.
Chianti Classico Collection 2007
 Due to a much improved organisation, we spent all four days in the same hotel in Florence – the very much improved and modernised Michelangelo-a larger group was put up in Hotel AC. From here it was a very short walk to the Stazione Leopolda where the Chianti Classico Collection tastings were held as always. Due to a change in programme the producers were standing behind their tables the first day and not the second as opposed to last year. This suited me perfectly as I have always preferred to walk round and talk to the producers and get the up to date information on the latest vintage – this time the 2016.
Chianti Classico or Gallo Nero always gives a huge amount of useful and vital information, which is informative, enlightening, accurate and interesting.
Here is a very brief look at olive oil in 2016. It was a disastrous year with mad weather, parasites and olive fruit flies and the resulting diseases and infestations. The Consortium Olio DOP Chianti Classico says that there were 3,042 hectares registered as olive groves and 361,813 olive trees in 2016. 130,728 litres were bottled up to 31/01/2017.
Back to Chianti Classico wine! To gladden my heart there were 57 preview barrel tastings of the 2016 vintage available at the producers’ tables. There were a multitude of Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG from 2015 to 2009 and 87 Gran Selezione DOCG wines were also available to taste from vintages ranging from 2014 to 2009.
This year at Stazione Leopolda, 185 estates were available for tasting with 676 wines. 9,000 bottles were opened by 50 sommeliers over the two days. 300 journalists and wine writers attended from 30 countries and over 1,500 experts did so from Italy and abroad. In 2016, no less than 275,000 hectolitres of Chianti Classico were sold, which is the best result of the last decade.
 At midday on the second day there was a conference entitled "The importance of being...Chianti Classico". The speakers were: Giuseppe Liberatore -Director General Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, Jean-Marie Barillère and Maxime Tourbart, Chairmen of the Comité du Vin des Champagnes, César Saldana, Managing director  of Consejo Regulador Vinos de Jerez, Harry Perterson-Nedry, Founder of the Willamette Valley Association (Oregon), Marco Remaschi, Regional Council member for Agricultural and Rural Development and Bill Nesto, MW, Professor at Boston University, who had just released an interesting book on Chianti Classico wines.
The discussion was principally about the protection of names and appellations deemed vital to each speaker. Bill Nesto demonstrated how all promotion made for and by Chianti Classico actually helped Chianti more. All speakers agreed that more must be done to make sure their appellations could not be usurped or misused.
A buffet lunch was served both days and a fine Gala dinner was staged in the Stazione Leopolda the first night. All too soon, the tastings were over and it was time to leave. We said goodbye to the charming Silvia Fiorentini who seems to grow younger every year; a couple of buses whisked us away to San Gimignano.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
We arrived from Florence late afternoon and were lodged in the Relais La Cappucina just outside San Gimignano. A vast edifice with long corridors in which it was easy to get lost. At 18.30 the charming Letizia Cesani, Chairman of the Consortium, gave a long and rambling Press Conference, which included an equally long presentation by the author, Armando Castagno, of a vast tome on Vernaccia, entitled “Vino  Territorio Memoria”. This was followed by a cocktail reception and a “Welcome Dinner” in the hotel. The 38 producers registered as participants joined us at the dinner tables and there were around 80 wines available to be poured during the meal.
The next day a relay of mini-buses took us to the De Grada Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art where the Anteprima tasting of Vernaccia took place. A few of us who had registered, climbed the steep streets to the Palazzo Comunale, to the fabulous and historical Sala Dante. Here Rosemary George, a long-standing friend and Master of Wine, gave a masterly presentation of “San Gimignano incontra La Clape; la Vernaccia e il Bourboulenc (locally called Malvoisie)”.
 There were 6 wines from each appellation, the La Clape wines having been chosen by Rosemary during a visit there and the Vernaccia wines from 107 samples sent to her in London. Nearly all of them were excellent and her descriptions of them masterly – direct, sensitive, percipient, descriptive, sufficiently technical and without unnecessary frills-in Italian. A huge success! We then trooped down to the De Grada Museum and set about tasting as well as enjoying an excellent buffet lunch.
 As my main interest is the latest vintage, the 2016, it was a joy to be able to taste no less than 38 white 2016 Vernaccia wines and talk at length to the producers standing behind their tables. There were also 2015 Riservas and older vintages - in all over 70 labels and over 100 previous vintages. We must remember that this was the very first wine to be assigned DOC status in 1966 after over 850 years of history.
Late afternoon we had to finish tasting, say goodbye to San Gimignano and our bus took us away to Montepulciano. The wonderful Elisabetta Borgonovi looked after us as perfectly as always and was on hand to fulfill our every need. A delightful and successful visit!
Anteprima del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
 We arrived late afternoon in the neighbouring city of Chianciano to be lodged in the same Hotel Villa Ricci. Here we had time to wash and brush before being transferred to the majestic Fortezza di Montepulciano for dinner. This is always quite a grand affair and a truly splendiferous buffet with a huge array of wines to taste. One simply asks the sommelier and he brings the bottle to your table. My favourite sommelier recommended a wonderful Vin Santo which was not on the list – Ada from Le Bèrne. Shuttle buses returned us to the hotel after dinner.
 The next day was the grand tasting day at the Fortezza, whose renovation has now been completed. It is magnificent and beautifully restored. Here one could either sit and taste with sommelier service or walk round the producer tables and talk and taste. My wife chose the former and I the latter. The wonderful thing about Montepulciano is the fantastic amount of information, statistics and technical detail that they give one. This is meat and drink to me and warms the cockles of my heart.
At 10.30 was the presentation of the 2016 vintage by the oenologist, Emiliano Falsini, in the presence of the mayor Andrea Rossi and the Consortium President Andrea Natalini. There are some 2,000 hectares in production in Montepulciano. Soils are very varied and vineyards are planted between 200 – 600 metres above sea level, which hugely influences ripening and picking time.
 At the end of his presentation the stars were declared. This year the 2016 vintage was awarded 4 stars. This is a sound and sober judgement and shows admirable restraint not to award 5. When I talked to Falsini he said that, although 2015 was awarded 5 stars, he personally preferred 2016 and thinks that it will last longer. It has greater elegance and refinement. I agreed with him.
The Sangiovese grape is called “Prugnolo Gentile” here. All DOCG Montepulciano must contain a minimum of 70%. The vines range in elevation from 250 to 600 metres above sea level. The yield of the wine from the grapes may not exceed 70% and the minimum density of plantation is 3,330 vines per hectare. Maximum grape output is 8 tons per hectare. Rules and regulations are strictly controlled and adhered to.
Fifty Years of Vino Nobile
The generous buffet was followed by the event we had all been waiting for-and which was hugely oversubscribed – “50 Anni di DOC Vino Nobile di Montepulciano “. A wonderful tasting of the great vintages of Montepulciano dating back to 1967 – exactly 50 years ago! It was masterfully led by Gianni Fabrizio who spoke with profound knowledge and crystal clarity.
 The Consortium was born in 1965 and in 1966 the DOC status was assigned by Presidential Decree. Interestingly, in 1967 only 5 producers bottled their wine. Most of the producers were contadini (peasant farmers) working on the Mezzadria (Metayage) system. Only old oak tonneaux were used and white grapes were still added. The 1967 was nearly dead, but the 1975 was alive, earthy and with the bouquet of sous-bois (undergrowth). We also tasted 1982, 1988, 1995 and 1999. Since stars were awarded all these vintages had 5 stars except the 1982 that had 4. A magnificent event!
Decidedly the Montepulciano day is full of excitement. From 16.00 onwards many wineries offered Cellar Visits and Dinners. I chose Fattoria La Braccesca belonging to Antinori. I have been here several times before and it is always a pleasure to revisit. We were superbly received in their modern combined tasting/kitchen/dining hall. A grand tasting followed by a delicious dinner cooked in front of us and served with numerous wines. This is one of the great wineries of Montepulciano and Marquis Piero Antinori will never be satisfied until he achieves the impossible – perfection!
Silvia Loriga saw to our every need and looked after us with charm and efficiency, making our visit both a pleasure and a success. A bus took us back to Montepulciano after dinner and a larger bus took us on to Brunello where I was lodged in my favourite Dei Capitani Hotel.
25th edition of Benvenuto Brunello
Sadly, this section on Brunello di Montalcino must be shorter than I would have wished. The Consortium took the decision NOT to have the producers present behind their tables on the first day and as my return flight had been organised for the morning of the second day I was unable to talk to them and gather all the information that I both required and desired. I was therefore left hungry for knowledge about the 2016 vintage, especially as I had to miss the awarding of the “2017 Leccio d’Oro Prizes” and the presentation of the 2016 vintage as well as the “Unveiling and Placement of the commemorative plaque of the 2016 vintage”. I learned from Stefania Tacconi later that it had been awarded the maximum accolade of 5 stars (Montepulciano was awarded 4). This in theory means a very fine vintage.
We must not forget that Brunello di Montalcino is celebrating 50 years of DOC, the Consortium having been founded in 1966 and the first wine put on the market in 1967. It was also the first wine to receive DOCG status in 1980.
 Today the municipality of Montalcino covers 24,000 hectares with 15% (3500 hectares) planted with vineyards of which Brunello di Montalcino 2,100 hectares, Rosso di Montalcino 510 hectares, Moscadello 50 hectares, Sant’Antimo 480 hectares and all others 360 hectares.
The Sangiovese grape here is known as “Brunello”, production is limited to 8 tons/hectare (9 for Rosso), marketing is permitted from 5th year after vintaging (6th for Riserva calculated from 1st January after vintage). Wine must spend 2 years in barrel and 4 months in bottle (6 for Riserva). Annual rainfall averages 700mm and training must be on the spurred cordon system.
 The consortium has 221 producer members. This year the number present was somewhat less than last year at 134. The wines being shown in the magnificent Chiostro Museo di Montalcino were the 2015 Rosso di Montalcino DOC, 2012 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Moscadello di Montalcino and Sant’Antimo both Rosso and Bianco and the occasional Vin Santo from Sant’Antimo. The sommelier service was impeccable and the temperature of the wines perfect.
The Gala dinner was a grand affair and the food exquisite. We were able to choose wines from a long list and to taste as many as we had time for, which since the service was quite amazingly slow, meant that we could practically taste everything available. So slow was the service that, although we started at 20.00, we had to phone our hotel to remain open until 01.00AM to let us in!
Sadly, this was the last leg of the marathon and we left Tuscany for home as always with the feeling that Tuscany is one of the most beautiful and most welcoming places on earth! Stefania Tacconi, as always, was everywhere at once seeing to our every need and unfailingly cheerful and good humoured. Benvenuto Brunello is always a joy!
The marathon was over!
John Salvi. Master of Wine
The writer collaborated with Subhash Arora, editor of delWine to organise the pictures of this and future Articles about the event since they were together for the whole programme, including the Conferences |