One of the most fascinating aspects of the tour has been the opportunity on our first day in wineries to taste different vintages of Sagrantino di Montefalco at Cantine Dionigi. The Sagrantino grape is very small and tannic and reflects the vagaries of the specific weather conditions of any given year. Tasting 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001 demonstrates this exceeding well. 2002 was a damp humid year with a lack of the usual ripeness that producers normally expect. The wine lacks the concentration that is customary in Sagrantino but at the same time the wine was quite forward and thus quite drinkable when young. In contrast, 2003 was a scorchingly hot year and the berries became very thick with a low juice to skin ratio. The wine tastes tired and dried out – it was appealingly when first on the market but has matured very quickly. The remaining three vintages are from superb years and show the ageing potential. The 2001 still seems very young and the 2004 and 2007 are beautifully balanced with superb structure.
Tuscany the following day felt a lot slicker than Umbria in terms of wine tourism. My challenge is to find the type of estate where you get a really personal experience. Poggio San Polo fits that bill completely. Despite being owned by the Allegrini family of Valpolicell
a fame, the estate retains a friendly informality but with an intense focus on attention to detail. We met Nicola Boasi, winemaker and agronomist, who took us round the estate, gave us a brilliant, concise insight into Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino and hosted a great tasting of barrel samples of 2012 & 2013 Brunello followed by a selection of latest releases. Outstandingly high quality and lovely people!
Saturday was a big day as we savour the joys of Giovanni at Cantine Cenci. Irrepressible enthusiasm is the order of the day as well as a huge post breakfast brunch. A walk round five hectares of organic vineyard has never been so much fun.
Equally enjoyable were the 62 hectares of Terre Margartelli. Federico weaves a wonderful narrative of the estate and the Torgiano area and his wife Jennifer produces the most fabulous lunch.
Incredibly we still had room for dinner……