Morellino: The Drink Me Now Sangiovese

Sangiovese comes in many different forms, the most well--known being Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile, and Brunello. These wines all have a number of things in common and each have their own virtues. Chianti Classico walks the line between tart to ripe fruit and earthy wood tones, with tannins and acidity that usually need a little time to balance out. Vino Nobile adds a dollop of violet floral notes, slightly less acidity and a broader structure. Brunello is all about structure and restrained power, and because of this, requires patience. However, there’s one thing that all of these wines are usually missing, and that is early accessibility. Allow me introduce you to Morellino di Scansano.

Morellino di Scansano fills a niche that was truly missing in the Tuscan lineup of Sangiovese-based wines. The average Morellino (which is the name or synonym for Sangiovese in the Maremma), is a young, ripe and rich Sangiovese with all the accessibility you could ever hope for. It’s not a wine that you have to be afraid of when opening a bottle at a party or for a group of wine neophytes.

What makes Morellino so different has a lot to do with location and aging requirements. The Maremma is located in the coastal hills of southern Tuscany, with a warm Mediterranean climate, which promotes easier ripening. What’s more, the maritime influences regulate the Maremma on hot summer days, so that the ever so important ying yang of warm days and cool nights, which is so important to the production of quality wine grapes, is ever-present.

However, growing perfectly ripe Sangiovese is only one part of the equation; it’s what the winemaker does with those grapes that makes or breaks the final wine, and that’s where Morellino is truly set apart. Without any required aging included in the DOCG regulations, Morellino can go from harvest to fermentation and then release by the March following harvest. This makes for an incredibly pure expression of ripe Sangiovese, which makes up at least 85% of the final blend for any Morellino. The wines are affordable and intended for early consumption, but that’s not to say that these are simple wines. Don’t confuse value and early accessibility with lack of character. In fact it’s quite the opposite, as many of these wines will continue to improve for three to five years in the cellar.

So I ask you to go out and find a bottle of Morellino di Scansano. It may be one of the most enjoyable and affordable Italian reds that you’ve had in a while. To get you started, I’ve included my tasting notes of some of my favorites, which are all available at retail. There is something for everyone.

On to the Wines:

2011 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Morellino di Scansano – The nose was fresh with ripe strawberry fruit, hints of dusty spice and violets. A rich meatiness seemed to peak out from the background along with saline minerals. On the palate, it was juicy with black cherry fruit, a hint of citrus and blackberry. It was persistent with an excellent balance of acidity. Dark red fruit lingered on the finish with inner floral tones, leaving a refreshed sensation with a slight tug of tannin on the palate. This is a very enjoyable wine that is highly recommended. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $18)

2011 Poggio Morino Morellino di Scansano – The nose was showy and intense with concentrated red and blue berries, cocoa, dusty spice box, dark wood and minerals. On the palate, masses of ripe dark fruit washed across the senses with a balanced wave of acidity keeping it juicy and fresh. Hints of pepper and spice along with meaty-savory notes and a saline minerality were left in its wake. Dark fruits and black pepper remained on the finish with an unexpected mouthwatering quality. This is an excellent wine where the Syrah component really shines through in a positive way. Well done and a great value. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $16)

2011 La Mozza Morellino di Scansano I Perazzi - The generous and fruity nose showed dusty tart cherry, sweet spice, tobacco, hints of pepper and mountain herbs. On the palate, it was lush and juicy with ripe dark fruit that turned spicy and brighter toward the close. The finish was slightly firm, yet in a very pleasurable manner as it offset the ripe, juicy personality of this wine. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $14)

2010 Mocali Morellino di Scansano – The nose showed sweet cherry and strawberry, with wood spice, dark chocolate, cedar and saw dust. On the palate, it was silky smooth with ripe cherry and currant fruit on a medium bodied, juicy frame. The wine finished fresh, but it was a little short with tart red fruit, yet remained juicy throughout. With its mass appeal and easy-going structure, this would make for a great weeknight sipper. (88 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $14)

2011 Fattoria il Palagio Morellino di Scansano – The nose showed spiced cherry, pomegranate, dark wood tones and a hint of barnyard. On the palate, it was juicy with cherry fruit and rustic, herbal notes. The finish showed hints of tannin, which added character to the otherwise soft, fruity experience. (87 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $16)

2010 Tenute Le Preselle Morellino di Scansano – The nose showed ripe black cherry, minerals, dusty Tuscan spice and herbs with a rustic, yet fun personality. On the palate, it was juicy with soft textures, showing blackberry, cherry and a hint of cedar. The finish was clean and fresh, leaving only a hint of structure behind. This was easy-going and fun to drink, a great bridge wine for someone looking for a youthful introduction to Sangiovese. (86 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! (avg. $15)

Fine Dining Any Day? Penne alla Vodka

With a perfect pairing to match!
A recipe & pairing by: Eric Guido

I've posted quite a few recipes that could take from an hour to six hours of preparation and usually with a decent hit to the wallet. So I got to thinking about the average person or aspiring cook in this busy day and age. I know that entertaining can be laborious and often expensive, but what if you could make a pasta plate that could stand tall next to anything a restaurant has to offer and do it in under a half hour from start to finish? Then, what if I told you it could cost less than $30 to feed a party of four? Seems too good to be true? Well it’s not; it’s Penne alla Vodka.

Rule of thumb: If you're not willing
to drink it, don't cook with it.

Penne alla Vodka is not a traditional Italian preparation and searching for its roots leads to a wealth of disinformation and theories. What is fact is that ages ago it was realized that alcohol can help to bring out flavors in tomatoes that cannot otherwise be obtained through any other preparation. This is often why a red sauce will include wine in its list of ingredients. Not only does it help to bring out these flavors but it also imparts its own qualities to the sauce.

Penne alla Vodka is a balancing act of flavors. The sweet sautéed garlic and onions play against the woodsy and smoky pancetta. The crushed red pepper provides a heat that is kept in check by the addition of heavy cream, which also rounds out any rough edges left behind by the vodka. The tomatoes take center stage providing a deep, fresh, succulent tomato flavor that, I find, can only be achieved in this dish. Lastly, the basil grounds you in reality with an earthy, vegetal mistiness, which brings it all together… God I love Penne alla Vodka!

See the Tasting Note Below

As for the wine, pairing with this dish can be tricky. It's a rich, cream based, tomato sauce so you'd think that any high acid red would do the trick. However, there's a spiciness to this dish that would react badly to anything high in tannin or alcohol. This led me to think of Sangiovese, but not just any Sangiovese, something from a warmer climate than the typical Chianti. This train of thought brought me to the Maremma and Morellino di Scansano. Add in the garnish of pancetta, which is a great accompaniment to oak influence, and you have Morellino di Scansano Riserva.

This is truly fine dinning in your home without the price tag or the hassle. Enjoy!


Penne alla Vodka
Serves 4 - 5 guests

A note on the ingredients: Try to find San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. Believe it or not there are domestic brands that try to trick you with tomatoes of inferior quality and a completely different taste. Also, using penne “rigate” (instead of regular penne) is important because the texture holds the sauce to the penne. Lastly, an entire bottle of vodka is not included in the cost of the recipe and since it is only a ¼ cup, use the good stuff if you’ve got it. Remember, your food is primarily the sum of your ingredients.

28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
5 cloves minced garlic
½ cup yellow onion cut into fine dice
½ cup pancetta small dice
¼ cup vodka
¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 cup heavy cream
1 - 2 tbls olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (depending on your preference for spice)
1 pound penne rigate
8 fresh basil leaves cut chiffonade (This should not be done until the end of the cooking process.)
salt and pepper

While bringing a pot of salted water to a boil, measure out and prepare your ingredients.

Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and, with your hands, break up the tomatoes into small pieces. Remove any skins if they were left on the tomatoes.

In a large saucepan, pour in olive oil and set to medium flame. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the pancetta and cook until browned (about 4 minutes). Remove the pancetta from the pan and reserve as a garnish for later.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and season well with salt. It is also at this time that you should add the pasta to the boiling water and set the timer for 1 minute short of the recommended cooking time. Cook the onion and garlic until translucent (about 2 minutes).

Raise heat to medium high, add the red pepper flakes to the pan and stir. Pull the pan from the stove (away from the flame) and add the vodka. Place back on the stove and add the tomatoes. Stir well to combine.

You should stir regularly as the sauce cooks over the medium high flame. Make sure that it does not begin to burn on the pan bottom. If the sauce appears to be reducing too quickly, lower the flame to medium.

About the same time that the pasta is done, add the cream to the sauce and stir to combine. Season the vodka sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Drain your pasta completely and quickly rinse out the pot and dry.

Pour the pasta back into the pot and add ½ cup of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and half of the brown pancetta. Stir them into the pasta and then pour the sauce into the pot. Move the pot onto a medium flame and continue cooking for one minute. Remove from the heat and stir well.

Allow the pasta and sauce to sit in the pot for two more minutes, stirring from time to time. This allows the pasta to absorb and integrate with the sauce. While the pasta is resting, cut your basil.

Stir one last time and ladle the pasta onto warmed plates. Dress with basil chiffonade, browned pancetta and a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Clean the rims of your plates with a warm, moist towel and serve.

2008 Mantellassi Morellino di Scansano Riserva Le Sentinelle - The nose showed intense black cherry with a dusting of sweet spice and purple and blue floral tones with an earthy, mineral core. On the palate it was velvety and rich with ripe dark fruits, yet juicy throughout, showing off it’s brisk Sangiovese acidity. Notes of plum, cocoa, spiced apple and lavender, all made an appearance and lasted through the finish, with silky tannins, which were nearly imperceptible. This wine was suave and poised, with just enough structure to keep me coming back for more. (92 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

VinItaly comes to New York

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend VinItaly in New York City, at the Metropolitan Pavilion.  I'm sure that many of my readers are familiar with VinItaly in Italy.  For those who aren't, VinItaly is a massive, multi-day event that takes place in Verona.  Thousands of producers attend, and many more thousands of wine consumers and business people come to taste.  VinItaly N.Y.C. is a significantly smaller event, spanning over the course of a single day, yet still made very enjoyable by providing a number of clinics and hundreds of Italian wines to chose from.

Provveditore, some of the best
Morellino di Scansano I tasted at
VinItaly.

This year, there was a large emphasis placed upon Morellino di Scansano. This was very educational for me, since Morellino di Scansano is a wine made primarily from Sangiovese (at least 85%, but known locally as Morellino), yet from a part of Tuscany that I have not had a chance to thoroughly explore; Scansano, in the Maremma.  What's even more interesting, yet not necessarily to my taste, is that Morellino di Scansano is allowed to be bottled very young, literally in March following the harvest.  As I researched this wine, many of my tasting notes started to make a lot more sense to me, since I felt that almost every bottle I tasted could benefit from a couple years’ worth of age.  However, the wines themselves were very good.  What I enjoyed even more were the Morellino di Scansano Riservas, which are aged at least one year in barrel and another in bottle before release.  You can find a number of my tasting notes of Morellino di Scansano Here.

Donnafugata continues to impress me
The Ben Rye was an easy choice for
my top ten wines.

Another standout was the number of dessert-style wines that simply blew me away.  I know that sweet wines have been out of style for decades now in the United States, but I'm here to say that these wines are worth your attention; they were simply stunning.  From as far south as the island of Pantelleria (2008 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé) to Verona in the north (2006 Villa Almé Raboso Passito El Rásego), these were some of my highest-scoring wines.

In the end, it was a great tasting, filled with many wines that were new to me and a few that have become repeat favorites.  I've provided my top ten wines of the tasting with notes and scores below.

On to the Wines:

2006 Villa Almé Raboso Passito El Rásego – On the nose, this wine draws you in with a mixture of ripe figs, black cherry, dark chocolate and soy.  The palate was rich and weighty yet beautifully balanced with flavors of sweet cherries, raisins, tobacco and poached figs.  The finish lasts for well over a minute, yet it remains fresh and begs you to take another sip. (94 points)

Villa Alme Website!

2008 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé - Aromas of candied orange rind in brandy with hints of lemon zest and floral notes rose up from the glass in enveloping waves.  On the palate, this wine showed immense weight, yet it remained elegant and fresh with sweet herbal tea, caramel and citrus flavors.  The finish lasted and lasted for well over a minute and all the while left me with a mouth-watering desirer for another sip.  (94 points)

Donnafugata Website!

2005 Travaglini Gattinara Riserva - The nose showed masses of crushed red berries with mint and tea leaves.  On the palate, it was at first smooth and enveloping before its structure took control and tannins coated the senses.  However, a dense core of red fruits and earth were unmistakable and lasted through the long finish.  This is a wine for the cellar.  I know I’ll be putting some away in mine. (93 points)

Travaglini Website!

2008 Agricola Provveditore Morellino di Scansano Primo Riserva - The nose showed deep, dark red fruits with floral and spice notes.  On the palate, it was first full-bodied and smooth with layers of red fruits and herbs, but it then shut down quickly with a stern, structured finish.  The 2008 Primo needs time and should age beautifully. (93 points)

Agricola Provveditore Website!

2007 Barone di Villagrande Malvasia delle Lipari Passito - The nose showed spicy tropical fruit with lemon and florals.  On the palate, it was medium-to-full-bodied with rich peach flavors.  It was almost unbearable to spit this wine as its wonderful balance was both luxurious, yet fresh on the palate.  The finish was loooong.  Highly enjoyable.  (93 points)

Barone di Villagrande Website!

2006 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino - The nose showed whiffs of brown sugar with dark raspberry fruit and hints of herbs.  On the palate, it showed impeccable balance, with a core of rich red fruit.  The finish was long, yet structured, and promised many years of upward development. (92 points)

Biondi-Santi Website!

2008 Luce La Vite Lucente Toscana IGT - On the nose, I found dark chocolate with cranberry sour patch candy.  On the palate, it showed juicy, spicy red fruit with a full body, which led to a long, long finish.  It was ripe, yet balanced, and very enjoyable. (92 points)

Luce della Vite Website!

2006 Argiolas Turriga Isola dei Nuraghi IGT - The nose showed black raspberry jam with notes of dark chocolate and tobacco leaf.  On the palate, this was elegant and weighty with black fruits and spice.  Rich yet refined, the Turriga is another wine from Argiolas that I’d love to spend more time with. (92 points)

Argiolas Website!

2007 Barone di Villagrande Sciara di Villagrande Sicilia IGT - The nose was savory with mixed berries followed by an aroma of rich, meaty broth and earthy stems.  On the palate, it was smooth and balanced with spicy red fruits and minerals.  A bit of firm structure showed through on the medium-long finish. (92 points)

Barone di Villagrande Website!

2007 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Morellino di Scansano Riserva - The nose showed dusty dark chocolate with red fruits and hints of wild herbs.  On the palate, I found tart berries with a firm structured backbone.  There was no doubting the quality of what was in the glass, yet this wine still needs a few more years to strut its stuff.  (91 points)

Fattoria Le Pupille Website!