|
|
 |
|
| Passion Investments: Wine & Spirits |
Tuscan Sons
Tara Weingarten
11/01/2004
|
Uncanny Tuscany
The newly styled vintages coming out of Chianti,
traditionally the most favored area of Tuscany, rank among the Italian wines
that future collectors are most likely to covet. Antinori, whose family has been
making wine there for more than 600 years, acknowledges that 1997 may have
captured wide praise from the wine press as one of the finest vintages ever, but
the 2001 vintage will age even better. “In the last decade, we have been very
lucky in Tuscany. It is the first time in my whole life that we have had seven
very good vintages in a row,” says Antinori, 65, who is the 25th generation of
his winemaking family and holds the family’s noble title of marchese. “But I
believe 2001 is the best of those vintages, and I think it will be among the
best ever produced.”
While Antinori owns several notable wineries, his
landmark Solaia lands on everyone’s collectible list as one of the first of the
ultrafull-bodied blend of reds known as Super Tuscans. Ever since the winemaker
mingled Cabernet Sauvignon with his Chianti-grown Sangiovese in 1970, collectors
have lusted for his Tuscan blends. Although the Super Tuscan entered the lexicon
two decades ago, the exact definition remains elusive. Not constrained by
traditional appellation rules, winemakers can blend any grapes they choose. Many
find the dominant Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot work best.
Even Antinori admits to having a passion for his new-style wine. “I do love the
traditionally made Italian wines for their restraint,” he says. “But with robust
meals, I love how the Super Tuscans hold up to the food.”
Modern vintages
have also shown their potency at auction. A 1985 Solaia, originally purchased
for $40, sold at a recent Sotheby’s auction in New York for $430. A 1997 sold
for $290, and was considered a steal. The Super Tuscan found most consistently
at the top of every collector’s list, however, is Sassicaia. At the same
Sotheby’s auction, a 1985 bottle went for $995 and a 1968 for $1,835. A
lesser-known Super Tuscan from Castello dei Rampolla, a winery that dates from
the 13th century, is also much prized among devotees: The 2001 vintage of Vigna
d’Alceo currently sells for about $179.
Montalcino, a fortified village south
of Chianti, is so trendy that it is hard to believe that as recently as 35 years
ago only 10 wineries existed on the hillsides surrounding the medieval city. The
growth of the area mirrors that of Napa Valley, which transformed itself during
the same period from a tranquil farming community to a patchwork of stylish
restaurants and cult vineyards. Both regions now support more than 200
wineries.
The Montalcino region first became famous for the outrageously
long-aging wines produced by the Biondi-Santi family, which has been making wine
here since the 1880s. But today vintners there are in a state of flux. Several
growers have adopted modern winemaking techniques that produce fruit-forward
wines with softer tannins. While a Biondi-Santi will always hold its own at
auction, the cult favorite, from a tiny Montalcino estate, is Soldera Case Basse
Riserva. Experts rate this as the leading Brunello di Montalcino, a wine
traditionally made from 100 percent Sangiovese, a grape that is regarded for its
upfront fruit, midlevel acidity and strong tannins. In the off years of 1991 and
1994, when other producers had trouble making a palatable wine, Soldera shined.
A 1999 is selling for about $200. The most promising collectible years for all
Brunellos, however, are 1975, 1985, 1988 and each year between 1995 and
2001.
Winemakers in the up-and-coming Maremma region have already produced a
standout in Tua Rita Redigaffi, a 100 percent Merlot. With a big, full taste,
the wine is made in the sun-drenched ancient town of Suverto, where there is
little rain and the grapes ripen with high levels of sugar. Made in the
new-world style, Redigaffi’s intense palate of coffee and licorice linger with
an extraordinarily long finish. The 2001 vintage currently sells for about
$300.
Pride of Piedmont
In the Piedmont region, the grand old wines still reign
as the most valuable. But the viticulturalists at the Gaja estate have produced
a particularly noteworthy less-aged wine: their Gaja Sori Tilden, a Barbaresco
with notes of sour cherries and spice. The 2000 vintage sells for about $269.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
