Tuesday
23Jun2009
"Super"Tuscan Best Buy
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 7:48PM 
Mobile Blogging from here.
Barco Reale di Carmignano from Capezzana has been a best buy for so many years it’s almost trite. Yet, there is something really special about such a low profile accomplishment. Their 2005 is yet another in a long line of lovely, lively wines at low prices. Structured and fragrant with a nice touch of complexity to boot. Here’s a wine that falls into the buy by the case category.
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Reader Comments (6)
Craig, as a devote reader of your blog, I respectfully wanted to point out that, technically, Carmignano shouldn't be called a "Super Tuscan." Although the DOC dates back only to the 94, Carmignano was a famous appellation in Italy by the early 18th century. In fact, the early known mention of Chianti in an official document (issued by the Gran Duchy of Tuscany in the early 1700s) is due to the fact that Chianti producers were illicitly labeling their wines as Carmignano. Capezzana made traditional style wines until the mid 1990s, when they began to heavily barrique the wines.
Your devoted fan, Jeremy
By the letter of the law you are, of course, correct Jeremy. However, as few consumers are aware of the DOC Carmignano, I felt using the utterly generic term "Super Tuscan" to communicate that this wine was blended with cabernet and to place the wine in a category consumers could relate to. As there is no true definition of "Super Tuscan", it's darn hard to use it incorrectly. For better or worse it has come to refer to Tuscan wines that are aged in barrique and include indigenous French varieties with traditional Tuscan varieties. That's a bit ironic as you could argue the first "Super Tuscan" was Montevertine's Le Pergole Torte, which was (is) 100% sangiovese and not heavily oaked.
The birth of the term "Super Tuscan" is interesting as James Suckling claims he coined it, but my memory (I was importing Montevertine during the first vintages of Le Pergole Torte) is that Neil Empson first started using the term. I won't put that down as definitive as that was 3 decades ago, but that's how I remember it.
how about we split the difference and call it "Super Tuscan Ante Litteram"?
Isn't Sassicaia generally considered the first Super Tuscan?
It was my understanding that Nicholas Barker coined the term in 1985... I'd love to get to the bottom of that...
Mulino's De Grace's Super Tuscan is the most Chianti Classico-tasting wines in their portfolio but Tim Grace told me they declassify it and sell it as a Super Tuscan because it sells better (also 100% Sangiovese like Montevertine).
Craig,
I recently discovered this blog and am enjoying it so thank you. Thanks for the recommendation above -- I plan to try it. Along those same lines, are there any other affordably priced Super-Tuscans that stand out to you as being worthwhile?
I could see how one might refer to Barco Reale as a Super Tuscan. Barco Reale di Carmignano is the DOC. And a fairly new one, I think.
I do not see Carmignano as a SuperTuscan. It is Carmignano, and has a history and a life of it's own. Capezzana makes a wine, GHIAIE DELLA FURBA, that could be considered a SuperTuscan. I think of it that way. I might be wrong.
But if one would talk to Contini Bonacossi and refer to his Carmignano as anything other than what it is, he would most politely correct that person.
It would be a little like calling a 1st or 2nd growth Bordeaux a garagiste wine.
That said, thanks for mentioning the Barco Reale; really a nice wine and a Super-Value, from an area where they now consider Cabernet to be "auchtochtono".
Cabernet Sauvignon is part of the "ancient" tradition in Carmignano area, just like Viognier, Sémillon, Roussanne and Syrah are part of the tradition of the wines of Montecarlo area, near Lucca in Tuscany. This grapes are cultivated in Tuscany, in this small area, from '800, but I don't think that we can consider autochtonous grapes like Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Pugnitello, etc...