This style of Tuscan wine is turning into the most popular with American wine drinkers looking for good value in Italian wines. This is something of an irony: It wasn’t too long ago that blends of Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Merlot were dubbed “Super Tuscans” and sported high price tags.
These blends have remained, but the nickname and the high prices have faded from view. This bottle is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, with equal parts Cabernet and Merlot. The wine was blended and aged in new French oak for a year before bottling—a nose of blackberries and fruits with a touch of game and vanilla. The attack is licorice and round fruit, with an edge of minerality sneaking through the ripeness. The finish is round and laced with vanilla and ripe red cherry.
Great wine with game dishes, including rabbit and wild boar. It also works wonders with sweet Italian sausages.
Piccini is an old Chianti Classico winery founded over a century ago in the town of Castellina. They are one of the biggest producers in Tuscany now with two properties, Chianti, and one each in Brunello and Maremma, as well.