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| ~ Sergio Zingarelli of Rocca delle Macie ~ |
In 1973, when Italo Zingarelli purchased what has now become the Rocca delle Macie estate, the property was little more than a dilapidated 14th century farmhouse surrounded by neglected vineyards just beyond the center of Castellina in Chianti.
Leaving nothing to chance, the Zingarelli’s embarked upon a rigorous effort to rebuild the stone farmhouse, replant the vineyards, and construct a state of the art winery on the property. Today, Italo’s son Sergio runs the estate as a family business where he lives with his wife and two children. Rocca delle Macie is home.
Recently I chronicled the best wine I think the estate has ever produced and in the wake of that tasting, my curiosity was quickly piqued about the estate’s other offerings. Today we’re spotlighting an excellent value from the property – their latest release that’s available for under $12.
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| ~ Large Slavonian Botte in the Cantina at Rocca delle Macie ~ |
The 2012 Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico is a rustic blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Merlot. In the glass, the wine is a medium ruby color throughout with pretty violet reflections.
On the nose, the wine is redolent of Castellina. Freshly crushed raspberry, violets and bright fresh herbs present themselves admirably. In the mouth, the wine is a bit too lean and rustic to enjoy on its own, but no matter; with a wonderful bowl of pasta with broccoli rabe and white beans, the symphony was complete. The red fruits in this wine plumped up nicely and there’s a delicious twinge of fennel seed on the finish. Refreshing acidity, this paired perfectly with the pasta and was perfectly suited to the task. A terrific value around $12. 87 points.
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| ~ Estate bottled from Castellina in Chianti ~ |
E vero!
John, I'm really not a fan of all Rocca wines (especially not their IGT wines) but when it comes to their CCs and CCRs, I'm constantly pleased.. Though I have never had a bottle of their 2004 CCR, I have been buying every vintage since 2006 and never been disappointed.. A few months ago I opened my last bottle of their 2008 CCR and I was strucked by it's elegance and complexity… and the fact that it seemed at it's climax 6-7 years later, even though 2008 was not necessarily the best vintage for ageing. I have also tasted their 2009 CCR (earned 3 bicchieri) which I think was quite good (not more), but I'm more and more curious to taste it again in a few years, based on our both experiences. Thanks again for your passionate work. Salute! Raph
Raph, Interesting observations and I'd have to agree with you. I have not tried any of their IGT wines – despite the wide distribution of the CC and CCR that doesn't seem to follow through with their IGTs. Maybe I'll try harder to find one and report back. Grazie for reading. Cheers!
John: It's been three years since I tasted their CCR, and though I wasn't blown-away by the 2007, it was a very good value for $16.
My wine cellar is as confused as I am, but I'm pretty sure I have others hiding in there; I'll have to dig them out!
Thanks for motivating me! 😉
Dennis, The 2004 CCR which I've covered here was a stunning wine and I bought tons of it. I've not had any other vintage of their CCR though if the price were right, I wouldn't hesitate to try one. The 2004 is still available here – tons of it – for $22. I've had three vintages of their CC – 2007, 2009 and 2012. This was probably the weakest, but still a pleasant effort for the money.