The taste of Tuscany

Italy vies for the mantle of "The World's Largest Wine Producer" with France and rightly claims to be the originator of all the wines in the "Old World" as wines were one of the things carried by Roman legions to Gaul (France) over 2,000 years ago.

Within Italy itself, wine-making is almost a cottage industry - every farm will have some grapes and make wine. It is estimated that there are over 250,000 "wineries" producing wine from the estimated 300 grape varietals, most of which are unknown outside the country. Combine that with amazing food, terrific weather and beautiful women, and it's no wonder that the Italian lifestyle has many takers.

The heart of Italian wines lies in Tuscany, south of renaissance city Florence. The area is known to wine-lovers as "Chianti", and the wine produced is synonymous with the region's name. This is the home of the red Sangiovese grape as well as the white Vermentino, both indigenous to this area. To be called Chianti, a wine should contain at least 75 per cent Sangiovese grown locally and there is an official certification system (IGT, DOC, DOCG) that grades wines, supposedly according to quality. The top Chianti producers include Antinori, Ricasoli, Frescobaldi, Ruffino, Banfi, Brolio, and Querciabella.

Then there are the "Super Tuscans" - wines that deviated from the official formula by blending wine from various French grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) with the Sangiovese. These could not be called "Chianti" and were placed in the lowest quality category (vino da tavola). However, American consumers started referring to these high-quality wines as "those super wines from Tuscany" and the name "Super Tuscans" stuck. The first (released in 1978) was Tignanello from Marchese Piero Antinori, followed by wines like Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Brancaia.

My focus today is Bibi Graetz, an unusual Tuscan wine producer. His grandfather bought a 1,000-year old Medici castle perched on a hill outside Florence some years back, which in 2000 Bibi converted to making wines . Bibi is an artist who has become a winemaker, but who retains the artist's touch (and temperament) in his new calling. He paints all his very colourful labels and his wines are mostly NOT called Chianti, but are among the most highly-rated wines in the region.

The wines include:

Casamatta ("Crazy House"): The Bianco (white) is a blend of Vermentino and Moscato and is floral and fruity with dry tangy acidity; the Rosso (red) is a 100 per cent Sangiovese wine made by the solera system, with 30 per cent wine from previous vintages - the current wine (rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast) is fruity, with soft tannins and excellent length and body (most unlike a conventional Sangiovese). Both wines are priced at about Rs 2,000 in Bengaluru and deliver excellent value.

The Soffocone di Vincigliata is a very different wine. For one, the label is derived from the Soffocone vineyards on the slopes of the hill surrounding the winery and the name (it means "suffocate") has an interesting and rather naughty connotation in Florentine slang. And two, the 2012 vintage is a 90-point wine made from 90 per cent Sangiovese matured for 18 months in oak casks. The wine is fruity and complex, with intense but velvety tannins and a lengthy finish and lists at Rs 6,100 in Bengaluru .

Their flagship wine is the Bibi Graetz Testamatta ("Crazy Head"), a 100 per cent Sangiovese made from 60 year-old vines that have been matured for 20 months in French oak barrels. Rated at 92 points by Wine Spectator, the 2009 vintage was released at $ 158 (Rs 9,500) per bottle and would cost a lot more in India. The wine is intense, with firm tannins and complex aromas of tobacco and tar and a medium+ body. Simply terrific.

You can guess which wines I've been drinking.
Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant