Piaggia Riserva

~ Carmignano ~

"The elegance of a wine is already present in the soil which nourished it"...... E. Falsini

I've known Silvia Vanucci for years.  The first time we spoke was after my initial tasting of her single vineyard Carmignano, Il Sasso, 2008.  That wine was a revelation for me so I approached Silvia about interviewing her and her winemaker.  That was my introduction to Emiliano Falsini.  I hadn't heard that name before but it quickly kept popping up on my radar and not in random places - but at Gambero Rosso tastings. 

Emiliano Falsini is incredibly talented.  His roster of clients include prestigious wineries across Italy:  Giacomo Fennocchio, Perticaia, Tabarrini, Graci, Castello di Meleto, Bibi Graetz, Moris Farms, among many others and of course, Piaggia.   His wines have earned dozens of "Tre Bicchieri" awards and hundred point scores.  In short, if you find out he's consulting, buy the wine.  

~ Silvia Vanucci at the Tre Bicchieri Tasting ~

It was with this in mind that I recently opened a bottle of Piaggia's flagship Carmignano, the 2008 Piaggia Riserva.

This wine is produced from the oldest vineyard on the Piaggia estate and receives the strictest selection of grapes.  Aged for 18 months in French oak and then bottled unfined and unfiltered, the result is an elegant, classy wine with lots of Tuscan soul.  We decanted the wine for 60 minutes and it greatly benefited from the aeration. It's also throwing a substantial sediment.

 

The wine is a deep vibrant violet color with purple reflections.  On the nose the wine offers focused aromas of ripe wild berries, black plums, flowers and fresh herbs.  It's captivating to smell, but even more compelling to taste. 

 

In the mouth, the wine displays a richness to the fruit and a concentration to the flavors that I've not seen often in wines from the  2008 vintage.  Central to that notion is a gorgeous core of deep red berry and velvety plum fruit accented with Christmas spices, new  leather, a touch of anise and long lingering dusty minerals on the finish. A touch of mint and coffee add even further complexity.  This is drop dead delicious. 

 

The wine is wonderfully balanced although there's more "chew" to this than I would have expected.  Easily capable of aging another 3-5 years, though drinking this now is no crime.  This is elegance combined with power and given the price of this wine, quite the value.  

 

The 2008 is 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot. 94 points.  About $28. 

~  Beautiful color to this glorius wine ~

E vero!