Montecucco – Another Tuscan Appellation
In the heart of Tuscany lies the city of Cinigano but the area is better known as Montecucco DOC – another Sangiovese-based Tuscan appellation. Tenuta di Montecucco cultivates over 700 hectares (1730 acres) of land. Next to wine the winery also produces olive oil and grappa. Furthermore, Tenuta di Montecucco is an Agriturismo (agritourism) with 10 rooms. If you like wine-holidays then make sure to stop by there on your next trip to Tuscany. RigomoroΒ is the flagship wine from Tenuta di Montecucco
Take a look at these pictures to get an impression of the beautiful scenery of the “Strada del Vino di Montecucco”.
Tuscany is simply stunning isn’t it?
Let’s get back to the winery. Recently, I tried the Passonaia (2009 vintage) from Tenuta di Montecucco. It is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cannaiolo. If you guessed that the wine aged in stainless steel or in oak then you are wrong. Passonaia aged in cement. I do not remember a wine that aged in cement. Have you tried something similar? Tenuta di Montecucco produced 60.000 bottles of Passonaia. The wine is produced from certified organic grapes.
Tasting notes Passonaia
In the glass, the wine had an intense ruby red color. The bouquet was fruit-forward with heavy aromas of blackberry, bilberry, blueberry and raspberry. Alcohol by volume was label listed at 14%.
On the palate, Passonaia was dry with mellow, pleasing tannins. I tasted red fruits and spices. Quite well-balanced. The wine was medium-bodied with a persistently long finish.
The wine retails for around 14β¬. Excellent price-quality ratio. Will certainly buy this wine again.
More on Montecucco DOC
The appellation Montecucco DOC is a fairly new. It was approved in 1998. The appellation can be used for red, white and pink wine as well as for Vin Santo. Montecucco Rosso and Montecucco Rosato require at least 60% Sangiovese whereas Montecucco Bianco requires at least 85% Vermentino grapes.
It can be quite confusing to distinguish all these Tuscan appellations but who blames you? There are 39 DOC and 11 DOCG appellations in Tuscany. Only the Piedmont has more.
So next time you plan to buy a Brunello di Montalcino try to remember that there are many other less-known and much more affordable wines in Tuscany. You could go for a Montecucco, a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or a Morellino di Scansano.Β If you do then you will see that you do not have to rob the bank to buy outstanding Tuscan wines – Passonaia from Tenuta di Montecucco is the perfect example for that. Let me know what your favorite Tuscan red wine is. Is it something less-known? Maybe a hidden-secret? Or are you more into Brunello di Montalcino or into Super Tuscans?
[subscribe2]
25 comments on “2009 Tenuta di Montecucco – Passonaia – Montecucco DOC”