At the Mercato Centrale in Florence, on the first floor from 11/10/22 to 13/12/22 there were six evenings dedicated to six important wine producers. These events were conceived by Umberto Montano who, together with one of his partners, leased the entire first floor of the central market of Florence and leased the spaces to third party entrepreneurs to give the public the best of cooking, food and drink both as raw material and cooked. This important initiative was also implemented in Milan, Rome and Turin.
Umberto some time ago, mindful of when we met, in the early 90s when he, in one of his restaurants, organized meetings with wine producers who talked about their company and had their wines tasted and I was a frequent visitor to these pleasant meetings, from there began my growth in the world of wine, he recreated these events dedicating them to me. The object of the meetings would have been to talk about the current year of production and to taste five or six wines produced by the company.
For me it was a pleasure to contact some producer friends who immediately showed their enthusiasm for participating in these meetings.
The events were free for the participants, the companies offered the wines and I, as always, did my job out of pure passion. Umberto made available the location, the staff and the glasses, one for each wine tasted. I found great professionalism in the guys who worked for Umberto, staff directed by the talented young Pin Cecchi. There were about 80 participants in each event and as many people were always on the waiting list.
The events were as follows:
On 11.10.22 with the Tenuta La Massa company. On 25.10.22 with the Venetian company Trabucchi d’Illasi. On 15.11.22 with the Azienda agricola Toscani. On 22.11.22 with the Tuscan company “Il Marroneto”. On 06.12.22 with the La Braccesca company of the Marchesi Antinori spa group and on 13.12.22 with the Maison Veuve Blanche Estelle with its “Encry” champagne.
The first evening was dedicated to the Tenuta la Massa company and its owner Giampaolo Motta, a longtime friend, was with us, who brought six of his wines including Giorgio Primo 2009, an olfactory riot of black truffle and cassis. Giampaolo is a very convinced supporter of the Bordeaux blend even if he produces an excellent pure Sangiovese, the “Carla 6”.
Giampaolo entertained us for about two hours during which he described the wines tasted. Very interested and attentive audience. Beautiful evening during which Umberto spoke praising Giampaolo and his wines.
The following evening was dedicated to the Trabucchi d’Illasi company. There were Prof. Giuseppe Trabucchi, his wife and his two grandchildren.
The company is located in the Veneto region and produces among the various wines Valpolicella, Amarone, Amarone Riserva and Recioto. All well-balanced wines of great depth.
I was particularly struck by the Recioto 2008 which I found very expressive on the nose and completely satisfying on the palate, finding it fine and elegant to which I gave the score of 100/100. This evening was also very pleasant. Prof. Tabucchi projected the photos of the company onto a screen, explaining them. Even this evening the room was full and the public was very happy to know this important reality.
The third evening was held on 11.15.22 with the Azienda Agricola Toscani, a Tuscan company founded by Oliviero Toscani and now run by his eclectic and likeable son Rocco.
The wines tasted were five of which the first four with Syrah grapes and the fifth with Cabernet Franc grapes.
They were all interesting and enjoyable wines. The “Lolì” 2021, sparkling rosé wine with the ancestral method (steel only). “I Toscani”: Syrah is fermented with a small percentage of Greco (steel and bottle). The third “vedomare rosso” slightly more structured wine (steel, Slavonian oak barrels for 12 months and bottle), “Lumeò” fermented and macerated for six months in terracotta amphorae and cocciopesto, with the addition of a small percentage of white Greco grapes. Use of amphorae and bottle.
Fragrant and vinous wine. The last wine was the Cabernet Franc, “come with me”, fermented in steel, aged in 350-litre French oak tonneaux followed by 12 months in the bottle. Among the various scents, this pleasant wine had green pepper and varnish enamel on the nose. This too was a pleasant evening with lively and attentive interest, given Rocco’s narrative exuberance.
The fourth appointment was with the company “Il Marroneto” of Montalcino owned by Alessandro Mori.
I would like to point out that the wines produced by this company, both the Rosso di Montalcino and the Brunello di Montalcino in its normal version and in the “Madonna delle Grazie” version and both the reserve (very rarely produced), are wines of high quality and economic value . The company does not need to advertise itself and give away wines for tastings, when enthusiasts spend good money to participate in paid tastings.
I made this premise so that there are no misunderstandings. Alessandro has granted his wines free of charge for the strong and fraternal friendship that binds us.
His son Jacopo came to the evening with his charming girlfriend, as Alessandro was abroad for work.
In contrast to the exuberant Alessandro, Jacopo is a shy boy, but who knows his stuff.
I must say that during the tasting of the red, the two brunellos and the two Madonna della Grazie, we were all enchanted by the pleasantness of the wines.
Scented wines of cherry, plum, minerals, blood, balsamic, spicy, expressions of the beautiful territory that gave them birth.
The palate is pleasure-loving, caressed by sapidity, minerality, gustatory balance and sweet and silky tannins. What to say more?. Jacopo illustrated the history of his family’s company and of his lawyer father who, hanging up his toga, decided (a wise decision) to devote himself to wine. Magnificent evening!
The whole audience was mesmerized and dumbstruck.
The evening of 06.12.22 was with a vertical of five wines from the “Bramasole” company which produces a fantastic Syrah in Cortona. Dr. Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori s.p.a. did us the honor of being there at the evening.
Our friend Renzo Cotarella dedicated his precious time to us as he is always around the world between wines to taste, evenings and meetings. Renzo supervises everything at the Antinori companies.
The wines of the evening were the “Bramasole” Cortona doc in the vintages 2004, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019.
If you want to get to know a company, it is essential to do a vertical tasting of several vintages of the same wine.
After this evening surely the public of enthusiasts got to know “Bramasole” and understood how this wine is when young and its evolution over time. They understood that Syrah has fruity aromas of plum, spicy notes of black pepper, worked leather and sometimes black olive.
Renzo told us about the company, the production, he explained to us the reason for certain aromas of the wine.
We were all delighted to hear him speak with emphasis and passion about his enormous and demanding work.
Umberto, a friend of Renzo’s, was also very interested in listening to him.
At the end of the evening Renzo had a small group of people around who wanted to compliment him and wanted to ask him for further information on some things he had said.
This evening was also magnificent.
We now come to the last appointment which was that of Champagne Encry.
The Maison Veuve Blanche Estelle of Mesnil sur Oger is made up of three hectares of vineyards in Mesnil sur Oger and is owned by Enrico Baldin and Nadia Nicoli.
I have known them for some years, since their first public debut in Merano at the Wine Festival, where I immediately liked the champagnes I tasted.
Enrico and Nadia came to the evening and offered the following six champagnes for tasting: Brut, Zero Dosage, Extra Brut, Rèverie, Rosé and the vintage 2012.
All champagnes very rich on the nose and on the palate with fine and caressing bubbles.
In the past I have also tasted old champagnes produced by the previous owner of the Maison and those produced by Enrico. We have gone from scents of mountain herbs and a bit of stables to different, more refined scents and 2012 is further confirmation of this.
I write the tasting notes of the Blanc de Blancs 2012 because it will be difficult to find this vintage around as the company stocks are finished.
Encry Blanc de Blancs
Grand Cru, vintage 2012
Light golden yellow color and fine and quite numerous bubbles. Varied and intense nose made up of aromas of cedar peel, star anise, peeled ripe tomato, chalk, helichrysum (licorice) and mineral. The olfactory path continues with intense notes of blond leather, brackish, green banana peel, acacia honey, licorice, eggnog and Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk). Pleasant mouth with marked acidity and squeezed lemon flavor. The body is medium and, despite the marked acidity, the wine has a good gustatory balance. The lips are salty and citrusy. In the mouth it is wide with long acidity. Its gustatory persistence is long with a lemon finish. Pleasant, young and lively wine.
(93/100)
During the evening, Enrico talked about the current year, describing it as another important year in terms of quality, and showed photos of the vineyards and grapes on a screen.
The hall was full, no empty seats and a waiting list of dozens of people as usual.
I have to point out that in this period it is impossible to find Maisons or entrepreneurs willing to give away all the bottles of champagne for a tasting. Champagne prices are skyrocketing as demand outstrips supply. Personally, I thank Umberto Montano and his team for making possible this series of events that everyone enjoyed.
I also thank all the companies that have allowed us to be able to do all this and the public who attended and showed great interest and attention.
