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| ~ The long Cypress lined white road to Moris Farms ~ |
Maremma is a special place. Although it’s unquestionably part of Tuscany, it’s untamed Tuscany and unlike the hilly central area of the province, the Mediterranean Sea exerts it’s influence notably here. The air is perfumed with the sweet, briny aroma of salinity. Cool breezes from the ocean lower night time temperatures and carry the smells of the scrub brush that is ubiquitous in this area. My friend Emiliano Falsini crafts beautiful wines here at the estate of Moris Farms.
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| ~ We made Fiorentina with garlic spinach for the pairing ~ |
Moris Farms’ Avvoltore has always seemed under the radar as far as Super Tuscans as concerned. That’s good for my readers as this is a superb bottle of wine and the price has remained stable over many vintages. We recently enjoyed the 2009. A comparable note on the 2007 is here.
Falsini ferments the wine in neutral cement tanks and then transfers the blend to French barrique for 12 months. After 6 months bottle aging the wine is released to the market. Although a blend, Avvoltore is mainly Sangiovese, with 20% Cabernet and 5% Syrah rounding out the mix.
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| ~ Guarded Avvoltore, quietly resting ~ |
In the glass, the wine is a dark ruby with shimmering purple highlights. Aromas are bountiful, with ripe, rich black cherry, Mediterranean herbs, smoke and fresh leather eminating from the glass. On the palate, the wine is intense with black fruit flavors tinged with smokey meat notes. The piney, sagey, rosemary underbrush traces are notable and the finish is ripe, long and tannic but balanced well with acidity. Drinkable now, I see no reason to cellar this long term. It was delicious with the char on the meat and is quite a good value. 93 points, about $40.
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| ~ Avvoltore is 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet and 5% Syrah ~ |
Salute!
July 24, 2014
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