Located in southern Tuscany, the Morellino di Scansano growing region produces wine known locally as Morellino, so named for the bay horses called “morelli” that pulled the carriages and coaches of 18th-century public officials moving to Scansano for the summer to escape the infestation of malaria.
A testament to the intense color of the horses as well as their strength, Morellino is an apt term for the Sangiovese wines of the region. From its inception as an agricultural capital during the Etruscan period, Scansano developed its viticulture practices and a reputation for dry, ruby red wine that paired well with game. Archeologists have found earthenware jars containing vitis vinifera seeds, which date back to the 5th century BC.
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In 2006, the region was granted D.O.C.G. recognition as a top destination for Italian wine. The region produces 10 million bottles annually – and even the young wines are notable for their pleasing softness and velvety tannins, a consequence of the elevated sugar content produced by Morellino’s ideal environmental conditions.
The Morellino D.O.C.G. Production code says that Morellino di Scansano D.O.C.G. must be, at the minimum, 85% Sangiovese, including Riserva. Grapes must be grown within the D.O.C.G. zone and must guarantee a natural minimum of 12% volume. Morellino wines must also exhibit a ruby red color, tending toward garnet, with a brilliant clarity.
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A recent wine tasting at Eataly’s La Scuola Grande paired wines from six Morellino di Scansano wineries. Grilled seasonal vegetables from Union Square Greenmarket were dressed with truffle vinaigrette from an Umbrian truffle harvested less than 24 hours earlier.
Standouts amongst the group of six wines included Villa Acquaviva Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2012 Nero, with a strawberry fruit-forward bouquet eliding smoothly into plum. A crowd-pleaser, Poggio Argentiera Morellino di Scansano Capatosta DOCG 2011 offered a pleasant barnyard fullness with notes of licorice and leather. The Conte Ferdinando Guicciardini Massi di Mandorlaia Morellino de Scansano I Massi DOCG 2012 exhibited elegant jammy prune richness with a balsamic finish, making it a perfect segue into dessert: an apple and pear crostata with chestnut puree accompanied by honey gelato.
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Created in 1992, the Consorzio Tutela Vino Morellino di Scansano, which represents 66% of all Morellino de Scansano, serves as a guarantor of quality alongside its mission to protect and educate both producers and consumers.
According to Giacomo Pondini, Director of the Consortium, the harvest report for 2014 was brightened by October’s wind and sun and “the 2014 harvest will be larger than what we saw in 2013.”
With passion and commitment, Pondini and the producers of Morellino are helping Americans to rediscover Tuscany’s hidden gem and its viticulture bounty.
