Posted By Joel on April 27, 2009

Fattoria di Magliano Morellino di Scansano “Heba” 2006

Prepare for imaginary time travel: timeline 287 BC.

Place: we stand at the ancient Etruscan settlement of Hepa.

Although it is deep night, many citizens fill the public areas. We sense urgency and unrest.  Understanding, we wonder:  Will the Etruscani be able to defend against the invading Romans?

OK: let’s return to today before the action scene

And so it was that Hepa became the Roman municipality of Heba, the prosperous colony from which the Morellino di Scansano “Heba” from Fattoria di Magliano takes its name.

Fattoria di Magliano is located in the Maremma area of Tuscany, an area renowned for great Italian wines, and is situated within a highly regarded township of the Morellino di Scansano zone. Shoe designer Agostino Lenci, who made his fortune manufacturing shoes in Lucca, bought the property in 1997.  Passionate about agriculture and fine wine, Lenci uses the wisdom of tradition coupled with modern technology to make wines of the highest quality.

Fattoria di Magliano has approximately 45 hectares under vine, 12 of those being dedicated to production of the Sangiovese grape for which DOC law requires a minimum of 85% in Morellino di Scansano.  Fattoria di Magliano chooses to round out its Morellino with 14% Syrah and 1% of Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot, as is allowable under the DOC.

Morellino di Scansano is typically a handsome, ruby red color tasting of cherries, deliciously tannic with good acidity, a good food wine. Morellino gets its name from the  reddish-brown color grapes of the region - “moro” in Italian - thus “Morellino”.  It  is a wine to be enjoyed young and is not a great candidate for cellaring beyond just a few years.

As a young estate in an area not encumbered with heavy planting history, Fattoria di Magliano conscientiously takes a natural path to maintaining a balance with nature: only low dose copper and sulfate products are used for insecticides; herbicides are avoided all together.  And only very low doses of S02 are put into the wine as a preservative.

Fattoria di Magliano grows its Sangiovese grapes in skeletal-rich, medium consistency soil typical of the Maremma.  Manually harvested, the grapes are destemmed and pressed with great care.  Fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats takes placeover the course of 15-20 days.  The wine is then aged for 8 months in cement tanks.

Tasting notes:

This wine is drinking beautfully right now. A deep ruby color, the wine is fresh but elegant.  Teeming with aromas of cherries, black plums and violets, the nose also delivers a hint of smoke.  Vibrant flavors of ripe red and black fruit with herbal undertones.  There is a luxurious sense of touch about the wine, a roundness, a gentleness around the edges, that feels very pleasant in the mouth. Firm, well integrated tannins and good length on the finish. A wine with lots of personality.

Food pairing suggestions:

This wine will pair well with almost anything you take off the grill: steak, pork chops, sweet sausages, lamb kebabs, portobello mushrooms, pork lion with olive oil, rosemary, garlic; Roasted chicken; Game meats such as duck, rabbit, partridge - try a pasta with rabbit sauce! stews; medium cheeses, especially pecorino.

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Categories: $ (Under $25), Tuscany, Uncategorized, Wine
Tags: Sangiovese