Fortunately, my hobby-work concerning wine has no stop.
At the end of July I went, for a week, with my family and my seven-year-old grandson Duccio, to the island of Elba and the island of Capraia with a 14-meter sailboat for hire. The departure was from Marina di Grosseto in the evening after dinner as the weather conditions did not allow to leave earlier. During this wonderful week, our skipper friend Stefano Gori accompanied us and when he saw two cars full of bags and galley, he started to smile. Particularly when he saw champagne and red wine galore, tasting glasses and champagne cooler.
It was a unique week for the flat sea, for the absence of wind and for the sun.
The sailboat, with the exception of the outward journey to Elba, has always traveled by motor. The friend Stefano took us to Marina di Campo, Marciana Marina and Porto Azzurro, stopping, to let us swim, where we wanted, in more or less frequented bays but always with blue and fresh water. I enjoyed cooking simple but pleasant dishes for both lunch and dinner, always bathed in champagne J. De Telmont Blanc de Blancs 2008 (95/100) and the Chianti Classico Podere la Cappella 2015 (93/100). A dish that has never been missed was the rubbed bread with ripe tomato with pieces of tomato and capers, salt and pepper and the fantastic Sicilian Mandranova oil.
This simple dish combined with champagne, served cold, in the middle of the sea, with relaxing music is the height of pleasure. Dear Stefano, not so fond of wine, changed his mind after this week and became a faithful “champagnista”.
During our gypsy, we stopped in Marina di Campo because Stefano had to collect some wine commissioned by his wife from the “Cecilia” company, a company founded in 1900 by the engineer Giuseppe Camerini, a Milanese artist who, after having frequented the island d’Elba for fifty years, he decided to devote himself to viticulture, starting with Podere la Casina. the grandchildren of the engineer They took over the management of the company.
During Stefano’s phone call with one of the engineer’s grandson, exactly with Renato Signorini, the latter pointed out to him that I was on a boat with him and that he would like me to taste his wines, as a wine critic. Renato did not know my name and given his past negative experiences with the journalistic world of wine, initially he did not show interest in paying homage to Stefano with some bottles of wine, to be able to let me taste.
It is not my habit to ask for gifts, as I am used to buying wine and I therefore invited Stefano not to insist on his request.
I accompanied Stefano to the appointment with Renato Signorini and then I met Renato. We talked about his company and to my question about who his oenologist was, he replied Barbara Tamburini and Vittorio Fiore, professionals I know and respect well. Instinctively I pick up my phone and call Barbara, to whom I told where I was and who I was with. Barbara told me that she has been following the company with Vittorio Fiore for several years and that the land has increased with the acquisition of the “Imarta” and “I Marmi” farms, reaching an area of about 11 hectares.
The vineyards are located between Procchio and Marina di Campo. There are nine wines produced and for some only steel is used, while for others wood (225 liter barriques). The white vines are Ansonica, Vermentino, Moscato bianco, Chardonnay, while the red vines are Sangiovese Syrah and Aleatico. Upon learning of these further news, I thanked and greeted Barbara, reserving the right to communicate my impressions on the wines tasted. I resumed talking to Mr. Signorini, who, given my confidence with Barbara, saw me with different eyes, so not the usual journalist but a person passionate about wine who does not do this job for economic interest. Mr. Signorini gave me three bottles of wine. Elba Ansonica 2019, Elba rosso 2019 and Elba Aleatico passito 2019, to be able to taste them.
We greeted Mr. Signorini and I assured him that I would taste the wines the morning of the following day, and that I would contact him to tell him my impressions of them.
We returned to the boat satisfied with this meeting and the exchange of words. So I began to think about the lunch I would prepare. The morning of the next day I tasted the three wines with my friend Stefano, who followed carefully what I told him.
These are simple wines with a low price range. The use of steel and not of wood allows you to feel the natural notes of the vines, both in the nose and in the taste.
Let’s now pass to the analysis of the wines.
AZIENDA AGRICOLA CECILIA
ELBA ANSONICA DOC, vintage 2019
gr. 13%, 20.000 bottles produced.
(Grapes: 85% Ansonica and 15% other vines)
Loc. La Pila, Campo nell’Elba
Pale straw yellow color with slight gray reflections. The nose has aromas of aromatic herbs, which reminded me of the bitter Don Bairo, hard mint, intense pear, varnish enamel, mint and generous of graphite. On the palate the medium body, scarce. The wine enters the mouth and goes away quickly. Good flavor and minerality, with a lemon flavor. Good acidity but you feel a little alcohol at the same time. Fairly balanced, quite persistent. Simple but pleasant wine. It lacks a bit of structure and taste balance.
(85/100)
ELBA ROSSO DOC, vintage 2019
gr 13%, 12.000 bottles produced
(Grapes: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Syrah, only steel)
Beautiful purple red with ruby hues.
Nose made of aromas reminiscent of gunpowder, black pepper, plum, light mint and eucalyptus, dark marasca cherry, nutmeg, rust, ending with hints of graphite.
Beautiful juiciness of plum and marasca cherry that fills the oral cavity. Medium body. It is sapid and mineral. The tannins are not very wide 4/6 ++ (on the upper gum), sweet, initially velvety and then in the end slightly dry the upper gum. Balanced wine with the alcoholic mass dominated by freshness. Its gustative persistence is long even if it initially widens in the mouth, a pleasant wine.
(89/100)
ELBA ALEATICO PASSITO DOCG, vintage 2019
15% vol., 2.500 bottles produced, 0,375
(Grapes : 100% Aleatico) only steel
Quite intense ruby red
Aromas of dried fig, sultanas, fresh leather (recalls capers and anchovies), dried plum, lemongrass, hay (mild), ending with puffs of graphite.
On the palate it has good sweetness, medium body and flavors of dried plum, dried date, dried fig. The body is medium. The wine has a good gustatory balance between alcohol and freshness. Its persistence is long with a sweet finish.
(90 – / 100)
After this interesting tasting, I phoned Renato Signorini asking him, among other things, if the soil where he had the vines had had clay because I felt minerality in the wines that sometimes culminated in graphite and rust. Renato nodded and asked me if it was possible to let him have my tasting notes, of course I said yes and congratulated him because the expression of the territory was felt in the wines. After the tasting we continued our journey, immersed in the sun on a crystalline sea. It was nice to stop in the middle of the sea alone, without boats even in the distance, turn off the engine, dive into the blue with a water depth of 110 meters, then go out and enjoy a glass of champagne that misted the glass for the cold service temperature. Champagne accompanied by pleasant green olives stuffed with grilled peppers. Our journey continued with the pleasure of being together and enjoying what we had. My grandson Duccio was happy to bathe in the sea continuously and to smell, not to drink, the glasses of wine we drank.
The tour of the Capraia was also beautiful, during which we also bathed in the splendid Cala Rossa.
I must confess that going on a boat with the family for a week was a wonderful idea also because our friend Stefano has always literally pampered us and we have done the same, with simple prepared food and champagne.
This experience has enriched us all, from a human and knowledge point of view.
