A visit from Rocca delle Macie

Vito Candela (left) gets passionate about Chianti!

With blue skies abounding, last Tuesday was a perfect spring evening for our Rocca delle Macie tasting. Visiting us was Vito Candela, Vice-President of  the Tuscan winery which is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone. I especially enjoyed this tasting, since I had just returned from Tuscany and stayed on the Rocca property, witnessing first-hand their impressive estate & facilities.

Two Portalis guests enjoy a taste of Tuscany

Rocca della Macie began with one man’s lifelong dream, of purchasing land and turning it into a world-class vineyard. Italo Zingarelli did just that over 35 years ago by purchasing “Le Macie” estate. His youngest son, Sergio now runs Rocca della Macie, and has begun his own legacy by bringing Rocca to a new level as one of the best quality Chianti’s in Tuscany.
 
Our charming Italian host, Vito entertained the group with interesting stories – everything from the history of Chianti wines to Italian culture (they’re lack of fondness for garlic).  The wines themselves lived up to their reputation. Here is what we tasted:

ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2006 VERMENTINO – $16.50 Fresh and slightly fruity with floral notes and earthy minerality.  A small percentage is barrel fermented which produces an elegant and balanced white.
ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2006 CHIANTI CLASSICO - $17  A blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot and 5% Canaiolo aged 10mths in both Slavonian and French oak.  A classic Chianti with juicy cherry flavors, medium spiciness and a soft finish. 
ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2004 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA - $28.50  One of the highlights of the evening was this riserva blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot.  Barrel-aged all in French oak for 2 years, then minimum 3mths in the bottle, this is a dark, rich and intense wine. Smoky tannins and dark cherry notes make for a complex Chianti to enjoy for years.       
ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2005 MORELLINO DI SCANSANO - $17  A soft and fruit forward blend of Sangiovese 90% Cabernet 5% Merlot 5%.  Expressive notes of violets, raspberry flavors and subtle tannins make this a wonderful choice for spicy dishes.
ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2001 FIZZANO RISERVA – $41   Produced exclusively from the Fizzano Estate and mostly from Sangiovese grapes.  This Supertuscan is aged in both French oak barrels and large barrique, then one year in the bottle.  Dark red fruit and with prominent tannins, this has great aging potential. SOLD OUT
ROCCA DELLE MACIE 2004 SANT’ALFONZO – $23 This 100% Sangiovese Chianti is one of the most prestigious crus from Rocca delle Macie.  It is aged nearly a year in French oak barrels.  Its smooth texture, rich red fruit and balanced acidity makes this one of the favorite wines at the winery. 

To order these wines contact us at info@portaliswines.com.  I highly recommend staying at Rocca delle Macie’s beautiful estate if you are ever in Tuscany: www.roccadellemacie.com

The tasting room at Rocca delle Macie

 

 

 

St. Émilion – Bordeaux, France

 

The medieval village of St. Émilion

 Contributor: Gina Gregory

  Taking wine trips abroad is one of the most rewarding and anticipated events of my year.  On one of these memorable trips, my husband and I traveled to France.  Our first stop was a week in Bordeaux, one of my favorite wine regions. I’ve spent many years drinking, collecting and selling the famous wines of Bordeaux, so it was a dream to finally get a chance to visit the area I’ve grown so fond of. If you ever get a chance to visit the Bordeaux wine region, I highly recommend the area of St. Émilion.  Located on the east side of the Gironde estuary (known as the right bank), St. Émilion is a fortress-like medieval village with cobblestone streets and Romanesque churches.  It’s also the name of a wine growing region, much smaller than the Médoc (located on the left bank), but produces more wine than all the famous appellations of the Médoc combined.  The Romans planted vineyards in this area as early as 2nd century AD, which makes it one of the oldest wine regions in Bordeaux.  Remarkably there are over 1000 crus located within 6 miles of the St. Émilion village. Though it’s dense with châteaux, St. Émilion is home to some of the best quality Bordeaux including Château Cheval Blanc, Château Magdelaine, Château Ausone, Château Pavie, Château Figeac and Château Angelus.

 

Hillside vineyards and wall of St. Émilion

 There are several different soil compositions in St. Émilion including hillsides of limestone, clay and a few gravelly terraces, which result in a fairly wide range in style and quality of wines.  Dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Franc (here known as Bouchet), St. Émilion is a red wine district, producing only red. Considered more approachable at a younger age, wines from this area are often described as robust & velvety with a rich fruitiness.  The classification of St. Émilion is complex and is separate from that of the Médoc.  It is split into 5 categories: St. Émilion, Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A.

The vineyards of Château Angelus

    On one of our afternoon strolls through the hilly village, we entered a tiny wine shop (St. Émilion has over a hundred of them) that specialized in old vintages.  Immediately upon entering, the friendly owner asked us our birth year. Since my husband’s (Kenny) birthday was in a few days, we gave her his birth year 1970.  She shuffled around the tiny room moving a few old boxes here and there, when suddenly she claimed, “ah, yes” and from a dusty box, she pulled out and even dustier bottle; a 1970 Grand Cru St. Émilion, from Château Vieux Rivallon.  I thought, what the heck, for nostalgia sake, let’s take a bottle home and we’ll have fun re-living our holiday.  We sat on that bottle for another year.  Until one night, while making wild mushroom risotto, Kenny said, “Let’s open the 1970”.  Would you believe that we nearly cried after drinking that wine? Here we thought we had been lured into an impulse buy (which we had), but who would have thought that that 1970 after 35 years and carting it around, plus flying it back to the states, would be one of the most beautiful, complex and stunning wines we had ever had? We were bummed we didn’t by two. So, if you do make it to St. Émilion, and stumble into a small dusty wine shop, my advice is take two of whatever she brings out for you. Cheers!

Château Vieux Rivallon 1970 St. Émilion paired with wild mushroom risotto