Spotlight on Talosa

~ The Church Bell Tower from afar in Montelpulciano ~

Talosa may be Montepulciano’s best kept secret.  But not for long.

I first wrote about this wonderful estate during my exclusive report on Vino Nobile a few years ago.  Since then, the wines have continued to impress.  On the recent Rustic Tuscany Tour, we had the opportunity to taste several Talosa wines.  As a result,  we are considering adding the winery to future itineraries.

Talosa is unique.  And in an environment where it seems Nobile is dominated by larger houses, its exciting to find a smaller producer that makes excellent, available wines.

~ The cellars of Talosa are ancient and lie directly beneath the historic Talosa offices and Taverna in the center of Montepulciano ~

Since 1972 the Talosa Estate has been owned by the Jacorossi family. A relative fledgling property by historical Tuscan standards, the Jacorossi’s now boast three generations that work on the estate. The family farms 33 hectares of organic vineyards devoted mainly to Sangiovese in a Cru area of Montepulciano called Pietrose.

The Talosa wine cellars date to the 16th Century and the winding passageways contain a series of vaults, niches and darkly lit tunnels that provide homes for the various size of barrels employed in production.  Here the cellar keeps an ambient temperature of 14 degrees celsius year round.  Natural humidity nourishes the wine and barrels; the oldest of which date back to 1972.  It’s a catacomb of history.

~ Old historical bottles on display in the Talosa Cellars ~

For this article,  I was fortunate enough to taste an array of wines across many recent vintages.  None of them disappointed, in fact quite the opposite.  Some were truly eye opening.  Let’s get started.

When I retrieved the first wine from the cellar, I realized that not only had I loved the 2016 version, but I had also had the 2019 vintage while in Italy.

The 2019 Talosa Vino Nobile Alboreto is the estate’s annata Vino Nobile.   Produced from 100% Sangiovese, the wine is deep crimson in the glass.  Like many other 2019s, the aromas scream freshness. Crushed cherry, new leather, hints of pine and fennel and fresh tobacco aromas greet the taster. On the palate, the wine is juicy and lively. Mouthwatering, bright cherry flavors are sapid with hints of toasted spice, tobacco and slight notes of coffee ground.  This is delicious and a wonderful QPR given its price; about $19 Euro. 92 points.   Find this wine.

~ The Alboreto Vino Nobile is an excellent QPR ~

The next wine is a special selection of Vino Nobile called Filai Lunghi, or “Long rows”.   This wine is also 100% Sangiovese but made from a stricter selection and aged 6 months longer in barrel than the Alboreto.

The 2017 Talosa Vino Nobile Filai Lunghi is a deep ruby color with garnet reflections.  There is a hint of iodine at the rim of the bowl.   From the glass, black cherry, toasted spice and floral perfume are evident.  Where this becomes a head turner is the concentrated body of the wine and the structure. Everything is turned up a notch compared to the Alboreto.  Sapid flavors of ripe crushed cherry, baking spice, rosemary and toasted nuts are flavorful. You can sense a slight bit of warmth from the vintage character but overall, this is a wonderful effort where the wines stays juicy and fresh on the finish.  93 points.  Find this wine.

~ This Cru Nobile retains its freshness in a very not vintage ~

When I uncorked this last wine, I couldn’t help thinking about what I wrote in the first installment of my Vino Nobile coverage on the 2016s.   “Countless comparisons have been made between Vino Nobile and Brunello. Which is better? Are they equals? Which boasts the oldest history? I say simply, it does not matter.”

Again, I take wines one at a time.  But this wine, an exceptional Riserva, is just that.  It upholds the most amazing traditions of Montepulciano and can comfortably sit on stage with any Brunello.

The 2016 Talosa Vino Nobile Riserva is 100% Sangiovese.  It’s a beautiful deep ruby color with a burnt sienna trace around the rim of the bowl.  I did not decant the wine – I was tempted but it didn’t need it.   Fresh aromas of cut flowers, roses, cinnamon, crushed cherry and berry are almost tactile from the glass.  On the palate, the wine is full bodied, but with balanced, well refined tannins.   The juicy core of fruit is accented with dried tobacco and dust.  This is such a delicious wine. Silky. Refined.   95 points.  Find this wine.

~ The Talosa Riserva is as good a Vino Nobile as I have had ~

Finally, it was time for dessert.   I love Vin Santo, but there are a lot of mediocre ones out there.  Maybe mediocre is too strong a word.  But if I’m going to have a dessert wine after a meal with plenty of reds,  the wine needs to be more than “just good”.  How’s that?

The 1996 Talosa Vin Santo is a special, special treat.  My readers know that Montepulciano Vin Santo begins and ends with Avignonesi.  This Talosa, is very close.  The color of deep maple syrup makes the wine appear oxidized to the eye, but it’s not.  This is fresh as can be for a wine approaching its 30th birthday.  Huge aromas of brown sugar, maple syrup, grilled toast, creme brulee and orange rind mark the complex nose.  On the palate, this is thick like light corn syrup. Flavors of molasses, brown sugar, orange peel, toasted biscotti and roasted nuts are exceptional.  The zippy acidity, tinged with citrus cleanses the palate and prevents the wine from being cloying.  A wonderful effort and available for a song.  97 points.  Find this wine.

~ The color makes the wine look completely oxidized, but it’s fresh as can be at almost 30 years of age ~

As I mentioned at the outset, Talosa is a bit smaller than many of the names that routinely find their way to the shelves in wine shops.  However, they have some US importation.  That being said, the winery has a robust direct to consumer wine shop that offers current releases as well as an extensive Library Collection.  So have a look!  Talosa DTC Shop.   If you sign up for their Newsletter, you’ll get a nice discount code for your first order.

~ Nooks and crannies in Montepulciano ~

Give Talosa a look and perhaps we will see them on a future Rustic Tuscany Tour!

Salute!