For the Love of Wine: Tuscany

For the Love of Wine

TUSCANY

RIETINE

A 13.5 hectere single vinyard of which only 9 are to vine, owned by Mario Gaffuri-Lazarides, a former Swiss Guide Michelin star restarateur and his wife Galini. The vinyard is in one of the best areas of Gaiole in Chianti which is the best area for Chianti Classico. The wines produced by this vinyard are living up to our best expectations and we believe they can still only get better and better.

397	£8.20	CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1995 CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1996 One of the best Chianti Classico's on the market. This wine is fruity, dry, has good structure and depth and represents excellent value for money. The wine contains 7% Merlot which is unusual for a Chianti.
498	£10.05	CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1991 We have just a few bottles left of this simply beatiful mouth-watering wine which has everything a good riserva should have.
099	£14.55	CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1994 The first year since 1991 that Rietine have made a riserva and well worth the wait. Made from 100% hand picked Sangiovese this is a complex and exciting wine.
400	£15.20	VINO di TAVOLA dei COLLI della TOSCANA CENTRALE TIZIANO 1990 This wine is 40% Merlot and 60% old fashioned Lambrusco. The most common expression on first drinking this wine is "WOW" for this is a wine of incredible power and depth. Only a few bottles of this remain and it is now reaching perfection.
251	£7.15	RIETINE BIANCO 1995 This wine is produced from the Classico white grapes, the Malvasia and Trebbiano. This is a full fruity wine - exceptional.

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CASA EMMA

Casa Emma is a small estate in the Val d'Elsa area producing some of the best wines from the region - the 1993 Riserva earned 4 stars in the April 1997 issue of Decanter and a Bronze Medal in the Wine 'International Challenge'.

127 078	£9.00 £9.65	CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1995 CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1996 Another superb example of Chianti Classico at its best. This wine has an abundance of fruit with incredible structure.
404	£19.70	CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1993 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1994 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1995 Superlatives have to run out for we have in our list four of, what we consider to be, the best producers of Chianti Classico. These wines are smooth with great depth and well deserve the high marks they score in all tastings.
230	£19.80	'SUPER TUSCAN' SANGIOVESE 1994 A wine made from specially selected Sangiovese grapes with barrique ageing. It is a wonderfully heavy wine which will continue to improve with age.
382	£19.80	VIN SANTO 1990 A classical Vin Santo from a stunning vintage - it is a while since we carried Vin Santo but this wine has been well worth the wait. Available October 1998.

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FATTORIA LE FONTI

A single twelve hectare vinyard in the Panzano district of Chianti which incredibly only produces 10000 to 12000 bottles of wine a year. Fattoria Le Fonti is possibly the last Chianti Classico vinyard using the ancient promisco technique i.e. vines, olives, nut trees and fruit trees all growing without visible order next to each other. Unless the vintage is average Le Fonti will only produce Chianti Classico Riserva and its 'Super Tuscan' Fortissimo. Both these wines are made from Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon added.

237 039 165	£12.05 £12.75 £13.55	CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVE DOCG 1993 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVE DOCG 1994 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVE DOCG 1995 A superlative wine which benefits from the introduction of 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has good body, fruity scent and a persistance of both taste and aroma.
		FONTISSIMO 1993 FONTISSIMO 1994 FONTISSIMO 1995 This is a wine made with the addition of 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and is a traditional 'Super Tuscan' from the top of the pile. Like its 'junior partner' it benefits from the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and is matured in medium toasted oak barriques from Allier. It has an intense colour with a vanilla aroma with a slight hint of cherries. This taste is exquisite with great length.

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RIECINE

The wines we currently have on our list were still produced in the John Dunkley ere. John, who still lives in Riecine has sold his interest in the vinyard to Gary Baumann and his wife who are now in the process of building a new cantine capable of increasing the volume produces from the site they own and the two rented vinyars - so exciting times ahead for Riecine.

		CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1995 CHIANTI CLASSICO DOCG 1996 The Chianti Classico produced from 100% Sangiovese. Both wines are still young but have lots of fruit and great balance.
460	£20.55	CHAINTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1991 CHAINTI CLASSICO RISERVA DOCG 1994 These wines are made from 100% Sangivese and have two additional benifits over 'ordinary' Chainti Classico; namelt less yield per hectare and an extra year's ageing in Tuscan barrels. These wines will continue to get better.
211	£25.05	'SUPER TUSCAN' LA GIAIA 1991 This is a wine made from 100% Sangiovese grapes which are specially selected and then aged in French oak barriques for 17 months. A super value wine.

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SANTOPIETRO

A 60 hectare vinyard situated in the rolling hills to the west of the wonderful hill top town of San Gimignano.

367	£6.60	CHIANTI COLLI SENESI DOCG 1996/7 A wine that shows that Chianti can come from other regions than Classico. This is a well made and consistant wine with incredible depth.
193	£6.60	VERNACCIA di SAN GIMIGNANO DOCG 1996 A very pleasant light fresh wine with that marvellous flavour that makes a good Vernaccia.

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GUICCIARDINI STROZZI - FATTORIA di CUSONA

The Guicciardini and Strozzi families have been making wines at Fattoris di Cusona since 1524 when Count Girolamo Guicciardini received the estate as the dowery when he married Constanza Bardi.

SAN BIAGIO VERNACCIA di SAN GIMIGNANO DOCG 1994
San Biagio is a small vinyard whose annual production is only 15000 bottles. The wine is fruity and dry with a pleasant light hint of the typical earth straw flavour of good Vernaccia.

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CANTINI del REDI

284

£12.05

VINO NOBILE di MONTEPULCIANO RISERVA DOCG 1991
This a good quality example of a top range Montepulciano, it had depth, fruit, colour and structure; very quaffable.

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CASANUOVA delle CERBAIL

This 4.5 hectare vinyard is owned by a German lady - Frau Rosmarie Stumpp - and only produces 17000 bottles a year of some incredible wines. Further Frau Stumpp will only make Brunello in the good years and Rosso in the poor years but never both.

444	£35.30	BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1990 What can one say about this Brunello, it is everthing a Brunello should be, powerful, deep, complex etc., but this one has something else for it is probably softer than traditional Brunello and it benifits from it. This is simply one of the best Brunello's on the market and what a year - 1990 is rated to be the best year for a couple of decades!. This wine, whilst it is good drinking now, will improve and improve.
169	£18.80	BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1991 We have been lucky to be able to add to our list the 1991 vintage of Frau Stumpp's Brunello, but only in very small quantities. This is a well made wine which is again softer than the usual Brunellos.
220	£20.55	BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1993 A very good wine.

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CAPANNA di FATTOI

Fattoi, in the Santa Restituta area of Montalcino, is another small vinyard with an incredibly small production of 16500 bottles annually and is owned by by a traditional Montalcino wine making family.

		ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1994 ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1995 The rosso that the Fattoi familt produce is more in line with traditional Montalcino wines and is again one of the best wines produced in the area.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1990 Very few bottles remain of this marvellous wine. It is a wine of depth, structure, fruit, maturity and is simply outstanding.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1992 The 1992 vintage was not recognised as as one of the best and in fact two of our vinyards did not produce Brunello in 1992. However this wine is drinking well now and has all the characteristics of Brunello and more.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1993 Fattoi make their their wines in the traditional manner without trying to pander to current trends in making their wines immediately accessible. This is all you should expect from a top of the range Brunello and more.

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LA CAMPANA

An even smaller producer who produce only 8500 bottles of the most beatiful and traditionally made Montalcino wines.

	£99.99	ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1994 ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1995 ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1995 A big Rosso from a traditional vinyard thar takes the immense pleasure from the making of top quality wines. A Rosso di Montalcino we think is a totally unestinated wine.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1991 If the Rosso is big, then try the Brunello, for it is truly amazing.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1993 We have been lucky enough to secure a very few bottles of this incredible Brunello. Again made with the wine being of the paramount importance.

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CASTELLI MARTINOZZI

The farm complex of Castelli Martinozzi is one of the oldest in the Montalcino area and is situated on the crown of the gentle slopes overlooking the Orcia valley on the Etruscan road that ran from Casentino to Roselle in the Santa Restituts area of Montalcino. Until recently the farm complex was automonous with such diverse sctivities as carpentry, stables, silk worms, looms for weaving cloth and olive presses as well as wine.

	£99.99	ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1994 ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1995 ROSSO di MONALCINO DOC 1995 A beautiful, well structured, classical wine presented in a traditionally classical manner.
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1991 One runs out of adjectives to describe top quality Montalcino wines but this wine is every bit as good as the other vinyards 1991 Brunellos. At a recent tasting this wine was described as "A symphony in a glass".
		BRUNELLO di MONTALCINO DOCG 1992 A bargain though not a lot was produced in 1992 as most of the 1992 vintage was made as Rosso. A good quality wine which is drinking well now.
		BRUNELLO di NONTALCINO RISERVA DOCG 1990 We have been lucky to secure a few dozen bottles of 1990 Riserva. What a year, what a wine and what a bargain.

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