~ The Vineyards of Villa Cerna provide the Sangiovese for Coevo ~
Coevo is a contemporary classic; a singular interpretation of the modern Tuscan vintage that harnesses the character of each Vendemmia across Tuscany. First produced in 2006, I’ve been fortunate to taste each vintage of Coevo several times over. As a result, I understand the unique style of the wine and how it can change according to the vagaries of the vintage.
Coevo means contemporary. The wine is designed to reflect the character of the Tuscan vintage and is crafted from the Cecchi family’s properties in Castellina and Maremma. The Sangiovese and Cabernet come from Castellina while the Merlot and Petit Verdot come from Val delle Rose in Maremma. When the wine is produced, it is always predominantly Sangiovese. However, the balance of the blend is determined by the quality of the varietals in a given vintage.
~ Part of the Cecchi Cellars in Castellina in Chianti which houses aging bottles of Coevo ~
While I’ve written about each vintage of Coevo, I’ve never penned an article that illustrates how this unique wine evolves. Therefore, I manifested this piece. The wines tasted for this article were cellared at Villa Cerna in Castellina until I received them. With the theme of the article being “Then & Now” I wanted to encompass a large swath of the wine’s history. Previously, I’ve written about 2 of the vintages represented here; in 2014 and 2016. So I was very curious to gauge their progression. The final wine is the current vintage, still unreleased as of this writing.
~ Coevo has its own room within the Cecchi Cellars in Villa Cerna ~
I began with the second vintage of the wine; the 2007.
The 2007 Cecchi Coevo is still a deep garnet in color. Right from the bottle, aromas of black cherry, worn leather, mint and toasted spices show wonderful depth and balance. This needs decanting to remove sediment and express complexity on the palate. After 60 minutes, pulpy black plum, spices, new leather and an undercurrent of chestnut are revealed. Dusty, woodsy. The finish is long with black licorice and toasted spice. A wonderful Tuscan red at 15 years of age. 93 points. (60% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet)
~ The 2007 is wonderfully fresh at 15 years of age and has plenty of life left ~
The 2010 Cecchi Coevo is a deep crimson color. Wonderful, aromatic, and deep nose of crushed black cherry, leather, chestnut, lavender and turned earth. There’s a smokey note too. On the palate, full bodied black cherry flavors are dominant with hints of alkaline sapidty and fresh herbs. But the fruit is certainly primary and center stage. Long, velvety finish tinged with spice and even the smooth tannins are starting to integrate. I knew this was special the first few times I tasted it and it’s really starting to sing. Amazing. 95 points. (60% Sangiovese, 20% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet)
~ The 2010 may be the best Coevo to date – but the 2015 and 2016 will eventually have something to say about that ~
Finally, the third entrant is the baby; as yet unreleased. Andrea Cecchi makes no compromises with Coevo. He releases the wine when and as he sees fit. The thirst of the market or urging of his importers matters not. In a time when many estates are releasing flagship wines from 2019, the 2016 Coevo matures in Castellina.
The 2016 Cecchi Coevo is also a deep crimson color in the glass with bright violet highlights. It’s almost completely opaque. Blue flowers and black fruit mark the intense and primary nose. Hint of toasted spices too. Full bodied on the palate with mouthwatering sapid herb flavors accenting the leaf tobacco and dark cherry fruit. Pulls off a rare dance between grace and finesse. The tannic structure asserts itself on the finish but this is one of the more interesting young Coevo I’ve tried. Already throwing a huge sediment. Decant for an hour or more if you try it upon release but this one has all the makings of excellence. 95+ points. (blend unknown at this time)
~ The 2016 is not yet released as you can tell by the impromptu hand written label. It’s throwing an enormous sediment for a young wine ~
Coevo has been produced in the following vintages: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. If you’d like to try it for yourself, simply Find this wine.
Salute!
