Baby Palazzone

~ Vineyards on the Il Palazzone Estate:  Due Porte Vineyard ~

The vineyards on the Il Palazzone estate are some of the most picturesque I've seen.  Tucked in on a ridge high ridge, one can see for miles across the valley to neighboring estates.  This is prime vineyard land yet even vines of this pedigree occasionally produce fruit that isn't up to Il Palazzone's standards for their Brunello.  So then what? 

 

Estate Manager Laura Gray tells the story.......

 

~ Estate Manager Laura Gray & Viticulturist Marco Sassetti ~

 

"Our Brunello vineyards are in three very different areas of Montalcino. Consequently each vineyard ripens at a different time and the picked grapes show very different qualities due to differences in soil, vine age, position and altitude. The ensuing wines are also vinified separately. We create an ideal composition for each vintage of Brunello by combining our three vineyards in different proportions, depending on whether or not we produce a Riserva and the vagaries of the specific growing season.

Occasionally we choose not to include a barrel of wine from one vineyard or the other in order to maintain the perfect balance in our Brunello. This wine, potential Brunello, is set aside to make our Rosso del Palazzone."

 

We recently sampled the Rosso del Palazzone which was bottled using wine from the 2009 and 2012 vintages.  Along with grilled Tuscan style pork chops, this wine made quite the impression.  Bottled in June of this year, the wine is 100% Sangiovese and looks the part of a vibrant young wine.

 

In the glass, the wine is a pretty medium ruby color with light violet reflections.  Upon intial opening, the wine was a little shy on the nose, but after some aeration and having the wine warm up slightly,  it has very pretty aromas of flowers, Tuscan pine and crushed berries.  

 

On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and balanced well.  The ripeness of the 2009 vintage is augmented well by the 2012 in the blend, a vintage with more classic "lines" to it than the warm, ripe 2009.   The wine is fresh and there's juicy berry fruit accented with Tuscan herbs and dusty clay notes.  Acidity keeps things fresh and this was the perfect foil for the meal.  In weight and flavor profile readers will closely associate this with a Rosso di Montalcino even though the wine is not produced according to the regulations for the DOC.   87 points and quite the value given the pedigree here.  SRP varies;  between $25-$30 show shop around.   Disclosure:  This bottle was a producer provided sample.

~ The Rosso del Palazzone is 100% Sangiovese from Estate Vineyards ~ 

A presto!