I am writing this on one of the roof terraces of La Fortuna Hotel, it’s nearly dark but the mountains are lit up occasionally by spectacular bolts of lightning. So far very little rain has fallen on me, and the thunder feels distant.
Last night, despite our spectacular tasting and lunch, most people managed to stroll out into Perugia in the evening and drink a bit more and eat something. So easy to do – the Peruvians are incredibly welcoming and friendly, and there was a great atmosphere with live music and lots of people strolling around the town.
But we were all on the coach by 8.15, and enjoyed the drive around the north shore of Lake Trasemeno, into Tuscany. This is Southern Tuscany, rather steeper hills than Umbria, but still with lots of mixed farming, rather than the intense vineyard landscape around Sienna.
Our morning tasting was the Poggio San Polo estate in Montalcino. Allegrini is a major wine producer in the Veneto region, which has expande
d into other areas and is bringing investment and expertise to this winery. The vineyards we visited are on the top of hillsides near Montalcino, where they grow Sangiovese which they make into Brunello wines. They are in the process of converting the vineyards to organic, which they can do because of the perfect growing conditions – south
and south west facing slopes, which are kept cooler by the afternoon breezes. The breezes also help to dry the vines after rains, meanin risk from mildew and fungi is much reduced. The soil is very stony – we saw great heaps of stones they had gathered from the vineyards – but the vines can put their roots down to capture water, gaining complexity of flavours from the soil as they penetrate deeper.
Julia, Allegrini’s brand manager for Poggio San Polo, escorted us round the vineyard and through the cellar which is built into 
the hillside. The principle of low ecological impact continues in the cellar, which is designed to control temperature and humidity through its ventilation system which cools air using pipes fed by an underground stream, and dispels warm air through the curious wind chimneys which sit on the ground above it. In the cellar we were joined by Nicola, the winemaker, who explained that the two wines we tasted from barrel were from very different years. The 2012 harvest Sangiovese was from a fabulous year – snow in the winter ensured there was plenty of moisture in the soil, so the long dry summer did not stress the vines, and a light amount of rain in September ensured the grapes were at peak condition when they were harvested. We could feel the greater fruit intensity and tannic structure compared to the (nevertheless very attractive) Sangiovese harvested in 2013 – a milder winter, cooler growing season and unhelpful rain in July. Both wines will be made into Brunello di Montalcino – the flagship wine of the region, but the 2012 will be a vintage to watch.
Back at the main cellar building we sat down in the tasting room, overlooking the glorious scenery and tasted three wines that set out the scope of the Montalcino region. The Rubio 2013, with its Indicatzione Geographi
ca Typica (IGT) Toscana designation, is a soft approachable red, lent dark fruit aromas by the inclusion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to the 70% Sangiovese. The Rosso di Montalcino is a Denominazione Origin wine – made entirely from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino region. More red fruits (cherries, redcurrant) on the nose, more tannic structure but elegant and very approachable. The 2009 Brunello di Montalcino was a much ‘bigger’ wine, with a complex nose including herbs and flowers, great tannins that were still approachable, and (as we discovered when we opened another bottle in the evening), opened out beautifully.
Tim herded us out and the coach got us to Montalcino in time for lunch at the Albergo Il Giglio who had opened especially for us at lunchtime. Tim had selected a fantastic array of wines from Southern Tuscany to accompany our meal of terrine, goats cheese ravioli, duck cooked with Sangiovese grapes and pear poached in Moscatelle. A 2014 Vermentino with fresh citrus fruit and good acidity, two Rosso di Montalcinos (one from San Polo, the other from Angelini), the Le Bruniche Chardonnay 2014 from the Greve region of Chianti, a Vino Nobile (the top level wine of Montepulciano) from Boscarelli, and three Brunello di Montaclinos from Constanti (2003, 2006 and 2008) – the 2003 again demonstrating how well the Sangiovese grape copes with heat. Finished up with a sweet Moscadello di Montalcino, and then a wander around Montalcino and a bit of a sleep on the bus on the way home.
Tonight some of us gathered for a reprieve tasting of some of today’s wines on the roof terrace, and others headed out into the town for a meal. I’m missing dinner, the thunderstorm has passed, and the gelateria is calling me….