Offer #7: SUPER Tuscan

Dear Friends,

You’re going to like this.

REALLY like this.

If you enjoy the finest Chianti Classico Riserva wines or even something like Isola e Olena Cepparello, I urge you to give this more than a passing glance ...

Poggio Nibbiale is a major new force on the Tuscan scene and the establishment better get ready, as it’s set to make a name for itself in a hurry.

Instead of starting in a well-heeled zone (Brunello, Chianti Classico, et al.), Poggio Nibbiale opted for the far southerly reaches of the Maremma—one of Tuscany’s wildest and most unknown haunts near the Mediterranean coast. This is the land of the Etruscans, with ruins and antiquity spread out before you. You’re just as likely to bump into grapes in the vineyard as you are to fragments of an ancient clay pot. Simply walking the fields of this region gives the explorer a spine-tingling shiver—you can feel the importance all around you. For vinous travelers as well as gastronomes, the historic significance, natural beauty, and (very) fine food and wine make the Maremma a destination to seek out.

Speaking of wine, the Maremma is still in its infancy, with only a few established players, such as Le Pupille and its world-famous Saffredi. It’s still possible in this area to tinker with formulas and/or formulaic wine making, and that’s what makes today’s Cook’s Illustrated on Wine property (Poggio Nibbiale) so special. No rules, no older generation to follow . . . only its heart and its steadfast belief in its vineyards to rely on.

The wine we offer today is Poggio Nibbiale’s top bottle: the Tommaso Riserva. It competes with Super Tuscan entrants at two to three times the price, and I would say (without question) that it is one of my top finds of the year for Cook’s Illustrated on Wine—and I know that Christopher Kimball agrees.

The goal with the wine, from a particular offshoot of Sangiovese indigenous to this area, was to handcraft something that would compete with the best red wine that Tuscany has to offer. But it would also highlight the fresh and silky nature of the varietal from the environs of Magliano (Grosseto), versus the more rugged, balsam, tannic tones of nearby Brunello.

I daresay the winery has succeeded with grace. (The top 2007 vintage didn't hurt.)

Grown in the flank of the Parco Naturale della Maremma, the 2007 Tommaso Riserva has velvety red fruit and a deeply resinous, noble presence that greets the taster. Where many high-end Tuscan wines are about tannin and alcohol, the Tommaso relies on neither. Its charm rests in a cashmere texture with barely more than 13.0 to 13.5 percent alcohol—after several hours, the wine expands in mind and body and gets better and better over several days open in the cellar. By day two or three, there’s a Burgundian Morello cherry tone doused in framboise that is quite appealing, but it’s the eloquent and magnetic breed that keeps the taster coming back again and again. A terrific food wine (or terrific on its own), this seamless offering is quite undervalued for the boutique level it is playing in. Open and decant one or two hours before serving and enjoy over several nights.

One shipment only, directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance. This wine is not normally imported to the United States.

Order Now: 2007 Poggio Nibbiale “Tommaso” Riserva DOCG (Morellino di Scansano), $29.80
(compare at $40+ in Europe)


Thank you,

Jon Rimmerman

Cook’s Illustrated on Wine

Cook’s Illustrated on Wine is a collaboration between Cook’s Illustrated and Jon Rimmerman/Garagiste Wine. All transactions are processed by Garagiste Wine, 707 S. Lander St., Seattle, Washington 98134.