Tuscan Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx

“Black wines have become the rage over the last 20 years. I prefer our wines to be red." – Christian Moueix

Tuscany is one of Italy’s leading wine producing regions and is home to some Italy’s most popular wines like Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico as well as "Supertuscan" wines like Tignanello, Sassicaia and Ornellaia.

There are four DOCG's for red wine today in Tuscany with Morellino Di Scanscano being added as of the 2006 vintage.  The most famous is Chianti Classico and the best in my opinion in terms of overall quality is Brunello di Montalicino.  Then there is the best value of all the little known Vino Nobile di Montepulcino, these wines offer similar quality to the wines of Montalcino but at a much more reasonable price.

Join us as we experience all four of these DOCG's for red wine and a few others along with our host this evening Luigi Maresco from Tuscan Imports.  This is one of the newest importers of Italian wine in the state of Florida. 

These tastings at the Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time. A great way to spend happy hour.

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Tuscan Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx Wednesday, June 11, 2014 6:30 PM

2008 Capannelle Chardonnay Toscana IGT Price: $52.00        Sale $45.76           Case $530

This is a much better choice for a white for this producer than the local Trebbiano but the bottle here makes the wine look a bit brown, they are changing the bottle here.  A nice toasty flinty matchstix notes with flinty mineral notes very rich ripe peach and pear fruit with notes of candied quince and, 500 meters above sea level.  This wine is very rich on the tongue with a smooth creamy texture on the tongue with bright zesty acidity on the finish, very rich and lively. 

2012 Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG                               Price: $18.25        Sale $16.06           Case $187

The Cresti family have been proprietors of Carpineta Fontalpino Vineyard since the 1960's and traces of the wine making traditions date as far back as the past century. The name Carpineta Fontalpino has never changed. It has its roots in two historical places of the area of Montaperti. We find Carpineta, a site where typical trees characteristic of this area, with silver back leaves, called “Carpini” grow and Fontalpino, the water source with the back drop of the pine trees of Montaperti – two noteworthy places of this important medieval historical site. The vineyard is located in the middle of Tuscany, very close to the splendid town of Siena and the historical village of Castelnuovo Berardenga.

2011 Poggio Trevvalle Morellino di Scansano DOCG Price: $21.75        Sale $19.14           Case $222

Morellino is the local name for the variety of Sangiovese in this DOCG (as of 2007). The wine is 90% Sangiovese, 7% Merlot, and 3% Alicante. Fermented in steel, malolactic in concrete and then aged in large used oak. Bottle aged at LEAST 3 months before release.

2011 L’Aietta Rosso di Montalcino DOCG                   Price: $26.00        Sale $22.88           Case $266

Francesco Mulinari, while a Montalcino native, does not come from a winemaking family. His father whimsically purchased 1 hectare of land, nestled up to the walls of the city center of Montalcino in the early 80’s as a place to bring the family to picnic, nothing more. Previously this hectare had grazing sheep, and a small farm, ‘L’Aietta’ means little farm courtyard. Early in his highschool years, Francesco discovered that this little picnic spot with its few vines was registered in the DOCG of Brunello, and that on this ancient stoned terraced piece of land, he could produce his own wine. He got started right away, and at the tender age of 18 he produced his first vintage of Brunello in 2001. After high school Francesco went to school for oenology, taking jobs at other wineries, all the time working on his little piece of land, slowly building a tiny one roomed cellar out of stone, and re-working the terraces to re-plant Sangiovese vines in the bush method. Francesco graduated oenology school, and while still working part time for other wineries, then produced his first vintage of Rosso di Montalcino in 2005. Everything very obviously done by hand (the steep grade of this vineyard is barely walkable, let alone accessible by tractor), and done by Francesco alone. At 30 he is on his 12th vintage this year, and has while always working organically, has just decided to become certified as well. The Rosso comes from another younger vineyard near Castelnuovo dell’Abate di Montalcino that he has since rented, and here the vines are trained in the traditional guyot method.

2008 Godiolo Vino Nobile Montepulciano DOCG       Price: $31.25        Sale $27.50           Case $319

A blend of 98% Sangiovese, 2% Canaiolo-Colorino.  This wine has a subdued bouquet of underlying cherry fruit with a rich palate of bright sour cherry and a peppery tannic finish. Earthy and vibrant.

2011 La Porta di Vertine Chianti Classico DOCG                        Price: $33.75        Sale $29.70           Case $345

La Porta di Vertine’s history begins in 2006 when Dan and Ellen Lugosch acquire the near perfect amphitheatre shaped vineyard in Vertine, a tiny ancient hamlet in the Chianti Classico area of Gaiole. The proprietors’ and winemaker’s main interests are to explore the characteristics of Sangiovese by selecting vineyards and soils to exhault and reflect the complexity and longevity of the variety.In 2010, we  pulled out the old parcel of our Vertine vineyard that had the traditional Chianti Classico white varietal grapes, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca.  These grapes together with Sangiovese had previously made up our Rosato.  So, in 2011 we changed our methods and made our Rosato in a different way.  Our 2011 version is made only with Sangiovese grapes. The juice was drained out of the concrete tank and put straight into used barriqes of numerous passages.  We did not clarify, filter or add anything (no yeasts nor sulfur) at this stage.

2008 Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG      Price: $50.00        Sale $44.00           Case $510

(92 Points)  Juicy and fresh, this is a tantalizing red, bursting with black cherry, raspberry, sweet spices and mineral aromas and flavors. Harmonious and firmly structured, leaving a mineral and spice aftertaste. Best from 2013 through 2024. –BS  Wine Spectator, Issue: Oct 15, 2011

2010 Fattoria Carpineta Fontalpino Do Ut Des IGT                                                    Price: $40.50        Sale $35.64           Case $414

An equal parts blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese aged in barrique with an array of expresso , dark chocolate and some fresh black earth, black earth very complex. Big and chewy on the tongue with layers of dark berry fruit, very rich with an array of dark spice and earth nuance through the finish big but still quite fresh and balanced finish. Finish 45+ Most Excellent

This is a pre-poured sit down tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + Gratuity + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.