Italiano
Easy drinking: Morellino di Scansano
The historic Maremma appellation makes it possible to drink well at a decidedly reasonable price. Here are four producers to always keep in mind.
The Maremma was a sleepy area before Erik Banti, at the beginning of the 1980s, made a decisive entrance. Italian-Danish, former tour operator in Rome, just forty years old he decided to move to Maremma and to take care full time of the vineyards and of the tiny winery he had created in the meanwhile. Morellino di Scansano was known only by local inhabitants and tourists and it was totally unknown outside the area. Erik's merit was to believe in it and to work hard to make it known first in Rome, then in the rest of Italy and then everywhere in the world. One of the "founding fathers" of Morellino, in short.
If we can define Banti as one of the "fathers" of Morellino, we also have a "mother" for this denomination. In fact, there are few producers who have had such a profound impact on the history of a territory as Elisabetta Geppetti, the dynamic owner of Fattoria Le Pupille. Very young, she began to take care of the small family business and over the years she has enlarged it, but above all she has drawn attention to Scansano and Morellino as no one had ever done before. The main wine of the winery is Saffredi, one of the most renowned Supertuscan, but the careful work has brought Poggio Valente - born as Morellino - to very high levels in a modern canon. Beside these two peaks, shine the other DOC wines.
Talking about historical companies, we cannot forget Morisfarms. The winery founded by Gualtiero Moris and carried on by his son-in-law, Adolfo Parentini, represents one of the cornerstones of Maremma. Divided between Massa Marittima and Scansano, it has always presented wines of great personality and high quality. The style is classic-modern with a very lay use of wood for the wines. Here was born Avvoltore, one of the symbolic wines of Maremma. Of course, next to that renowned Supertuscan, we cannot forget about the wines of the appellation, both in vintage and reserve versions. In the last years, with the arrival of his son Giulio, the winery has given a turn towards a moderate modernism with a more fruity olfactory research. The hawk (locally called "avvoltore") continues to fly high.
We conclude this focus with Fattoria di Magliano, a winery born later than the previous ones but started immediately, more than twenty years ago, with the right foot. When entrepreneur Agostino Lenci from Lucca arrived in Magliano in Tuscany, in Maremma, towards the end of the nineties, he decided he wanted to produce great wines and he set the whole winery on the concepts of a quality viticulture. The precious structure of soils, the exposure of vineyards, a favorable climate, help the organic conduction of vineyards which was certified in 2017. For many years now, the conduction of the farm is in the hands of Agostino Nicola's son.
Here are our choices, in order of vintage.
Morellino di Scansano Spineto 2020 Erik Banti
90 /100 - € 10,00
Blend of 85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Stainless steel for 6 months.
Intense and lively garnet ruby red color. Fruity and slightly ethereal aromas of cherries, strawberries, wildflowers and hints of Maraschino. Warm and agile taste, good acidity, delicate tannins.
Morellino di Scansano Heba 2019 Fattoria di Magliano
91 /100 - € 12,00
Blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Syrah grapes. Matures 6 months in cement vats.
Bright ruby red color. Fruity aromas of cherries, raspberries and pomegranate, hints of aromatic herbs and eucalyptus. Fresh and balanced taste, very well blended in tannins. Good and pleasant persistence.
Morellino di Scansano Moris 2019 Morisfarms
89 /100 - € 9,50
Blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Syrah and Merlot grapes. Stainless steel for 4 months.
Ruby red color with violet hues. Aromas of wild cherries, blackberries, blueberries together with aromatic herbs, myrtl, laurel and hints of spices. Clean and coherent taste, quite long persistence and balanced tannins.
Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2018 Fattoria Le Pupille
90 /100 - € 15,00
Blend of mostly Sangiovese grapes with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Matures in 20 and 40 hl barrels for 15 months.
Classic ruby red color. Neat aromas of cherries, morello cherries and hints of underbrush. Smooth and savory taste, elegant tannins and very fresh progression. Persistent finish.
