Morellino 2023

Semi-translucent garnet. A tiny hint of reduction on the nose that clears off quite quickly. Black cherries. At first, this seemed a done-and-dusted straightforward wine. Black fruit, balanced acidity, crunchy tannins. As it opens up just a little bit more, the tannins really open up and start to breathe. It's remarkably Italianate, more reminiscent of a top Chianti or Brunello than the sweet juiciness of an Annata Morellino. The tannins and structure are exceptionally classy, exceptionally typical, and not simply relying on full-bodied fruit and weight - a genuinely fine and structured fine wine. That being said, I'm finding it a little closed and somewhat lacking in fruit. Classy - but not wowy as I remember it.

Semi-opaque. Herbal, garrigue, leather and spice. Incredibly supple tannins, waxy and lightly leathery. Tannins have a ripeness and a concentration to them that to me lends this an almost Riserva weight. Plenty of cherry fruit, a hint of cranberries. Acidity is well integrated, higher than you'd expect but not dominating. Has a ruggedness and a rusticity that lends charm and seriousness more than anything else. Exactly what I want from a serious Morellino that isn't relying on oak or age - but isn't just a youthful fruit bomb either. A classy and modern Tuscan red that isn't afraid of history.

Mostly translucent. A little restrained at first, opening up to pretty, lightly floral red fruit. Tannins are present and well-extracted, but remarkably silky and quite frankly shockingly ripe - it's a tannic wine, but with the tannins really playing to the strengths of a beautifully ripe wine. Not exuberant, but silky, easy-drinking, approachable - but not at the expense of class or extraction. Absolutely stunning wine. Modern, classy, ripe. Energetic and would not be out of place as a by-the-glass on a tasting menu in a Michelin-starred restaurant that isn't afraid of shaking things up.

A hint of reduction hiding a fair bit of oak on the nose. Lots of black cherries. Classy and with subtly international pretensions of grandeur. Lots of fruit with a rich opulence, lots of acidity, and lots of Italianate tannins, all held together by generously ripe alcohol and a tight, disciplined structure. Spice and complexity on the finish - this is a classy wine that opts for style over fashion. Despite all that richness and decadent spice, it has a freshness and acidity that just keeps everything perfectly balanaced. A tiny hint of liquorice and eucalyptus as this opens up adds another dimension to the black and red cherries and slightly woody tannins. Moreish, delicious, traditional. Aristocratic.

Semi-opaque. Lots of incense, spice, pot pourri, floral and perfume. Blood orange and black cherries. Incredibly powerful and intense, decadent, leading to a remarkably fine, classy, elegant, almost lacy palate. A hint of liquorice and salinity. Quite different to many others, as this opts for a refined, elegant charm that still translates into power and intensity. Black, inky, more perfume. Tannins are well-extracted but seem to sit on a knife-edge, cutting through the fruit and alcohol but then instantly retreating into the shadows. Despite all this, it still has the ripe fruit and almost laissez-faire easy charm of Morellino rather than the sulkiness of Sangiovese further inland. Gorgeous wine.

Semi-opaque. Restrained, almost closed on the nose. Some red berries - wild strawberries, wild raspberries, red cherries. Eucalyptus and sandalwood. Quite drying, woody tannins - a bit over-extracted to my personal taste, given the richness on the rest of the palate, but this isn't quite ready. Lots of black chocolate and coffee. For someone looking for the extraction and tannins of Brunello, this is absolutely spot-on, showing that Morellino absolutely is capable of delivering that kind of age-worthy extractionb-mb, without sacrificing that hint of ripeness that is Scansano's hallmark. Lots of red fruit on the finish, pretty spice, slightly rough youthful tannins - keep this at least a few more years.

Semi-translucent. Lots of spice. Some red fruit. Crisp, zippy tannins. Youthful, slightly one-dimensional fruit, balanced by the structure. Modern and approachable. Nice ripeness, with both the fruit and the tannins seeming in balance. Nice structure with a firm, almost gravelly texture. Can't see what more this could do as a youthful drink-young Morellino - it's fruity, expressive, spicy, structured, tannic and fresh. Ticks every single box and I can still see this being rather than delicious in a couple of years. Not excessive in any way - just rather yummy, and not at the expensive of seriousness.

Semi-translucent. Dark violets and black cherries. Intense, dark, almost beeswax dark floral notes on the nose. Lots of new oak providing that waxy lift. Dark richness continues on the palate, with ripe but not jammy berry fruit at first, progressing to depth and concentration on the mid-palate, balanced acidity, and really elegantly chalky tannins on the finish. Still evidently Italianate, still chalky and crunch and fresh - but balanced, well-integrated, really extremely classy. Absolutely spot-on Morellino that delivers a more approachable wine than Riserva while still being exciting and classy. That being said, I think this has a freshness that ties this more to a premium Chianti or even a lightly oaked Rosso di Montalcino than the juicy ripeness of many Morellinos.

Lightly brickish at the edges. A hint of reduction on the nose. Beautifully silky and rich on the palate. Concentrated and silky with real weight. Slightly fruity at first, with black cherries and a hint of black plums, this progresses quite quickly to starkly mineral, linear tannins that stand out cliff-like from an otherwise soft and silky - but very concentrated - mid-palate. Tannins are well-extracted but not excessive, softeed by the alcohol and that concentrated weight. The structure is really just gorgeous - so it's a shame that it's not so pleasant on the nose and that maybe the fruit is a little one-dimensional, squeezed into a tiny corner rather than being allowed to express itself. Maybe come back in a year or two, or decant for half a day?

Semi-opaque. Dark cherries, velvet, plums, herbal garrigue and some lovely floral notes. On the palate, beautiful elegance and freshness with a vibrancy that is really rather endearing. Tannins are crunchy, very pippy and chalky, very Italian. Has all the vibrancy and energy of an unoaked, somewhat youthful wine, with plenty of fruit - but beautiful typicity, and just enough weight and extraction to keep this interesting, serious, and worthy of a DOCG. Balanced and exciting - fruit-forward without being simple.

Semi-opaque. Some pretty floral notes, a hint of evlution, some pot pourri. Rather a lot of sweet oak, but not unpleasantly so - the sweetness is backing up that floral cherry richness of the Sangiovese. Lots of dark, almost jammy fruit, with a vibrant sweetness and ripeness that carries through to the mid-palate. Would have liked to see a bit more texture, a bit more richness. Seems to be a wine of two poles, a rich and ripe alcoholic sweet fruit profile (backed up by oak) and classic tannic extraction, with a sort of hollow, empty mid-palate no man's land between them. It's not a bad wine, and is absolutely nailing the brief of being a middle ground between fresh-and-fruity youthful Morellino and dark, intense Riserva - maybe it needs time to mellow and build consensus and balance across the wine?

Semi-translucent to semi-opaque with subtle garnet hues. Somewhat restrained on the nose, with some fresh cherry fruit that evolves to pretty herbal and menthol eucalyptus notes. The tannins are buzzy and vibrant, with a chalky weight and no lack of extraction. A bit more one-dimensional and rugged while still maintaining beautifully expressive and vibrant fruit. Modern and exciting while still clearly a Tuscan Sangiovese.

Semi-opaque garnet. Lots of dark cherries and a rich, dark chocolate warmth on the nose. Hints of olive brine and fresh sourdough. Dark, jammy, almost plummy - more in common with a softened Riserva than an Annata. Somewhat softened, more international, jammy tannins than you'd expect. Soft and approachable, while still showing real structure and rigour. It's a stellar wine, but that dark jamminess seems at odds

Mostly translucent. Lots of resin, pinewood, herbal, eucalyptus. New oak on the nose. Fresh and herbal on the palate, with a fresh and zippy mid-palate. Would have wanted to see a bit more depth and a bit more fruit - but this has so much freshness and charm that I'm willing to overlook all that. The tannins are unexpectedly fresh, with a pretty red cherry elegance. It's modern, it's elegant, it's vibrant. I think this is exactly the sort of wine that modern sommeliers will fall over themselves for. Is it what I expect from a Riserva Morellino? Not necessarily, but the combination of freshness, herbal interest, and charmingly Italian (but not excessive) tannins make this a real winner for me. On retaste - traditional but not pushing boundaries

Semi-opaque. Oak quite present on the nose, with a subtle richness, hints of cedar, and some cooked cherries in the background. Lots of spice. Rich and velvety on the mid-palate, supple and inky. Lots of cooked cherries. The tannins are present and weighty, but not evidently Italian at first - they're softened by a little age, lots of fruit, lots of alcohol, and a general concentrated weightiness. Alcohol is a little too present on the finish, which is a shame. It's not a perfect wine, but I'm struggling to think of what more it could do to be a better Riserva Morellino (other than the alcohol and maybe more stereotypically Italian tannins - but that's not necessarily a good thing). It's ripe, it's oaky, it's fruity, it's classy and ageworthy. Exactly my kind of wine.

Semi-opaque. Restrained on the nose with some dark cherries and a hint of spice. A little more old-fashioned, with a closed structure, slightly hard texture, and a finish dominated by extracted tannins. There is some velvet richness softening things, but otherwise this just feels a little jammy and superficial, extracted and old-fashioned but without the concentration or energy of better examples of Morellino. It's nice, but that's as far as it goes.

Semi-translucent. Hints of floral spice, incense and pot pourri. Lovely fruit profile, with lots of black cherries, blackberries and hedgerow fruit. A little hollow on the mid-palate, which is a shame, as the tannins rear up really quite nicely on the finish - not overly-present or overly-extracted, but with a chalky, pretty crunch that's nicely backed up by rather generous (maybe excessively?) alcohol. Acidity is really juicy and is certainly carrying the wine. Pretty Morellino Riserva with nice typicity, but not quite going the extra mile and just slightly lacking in concentration.

Semi-translucent. Restrained nose, slightly gamey in a nice savoury way. On the palate, youthful jammy ripe black and red fruit up front with some youthful spritz, followed by taut red berry minerality and weighty structure. Youthful zippy and juicy red fruit with ripe tannins, hints of black chocolate and roasting coffee. Finish is fresh with surprising green tannins and over-extraction. Overall, a cheap-and-cheerful fresh and unoaked Morellino with ripe Sangiovese fruitiness, but nothing special.

Semi-opaque, dark ruby. Intense blackberries, lots of dark fruit. Very old-fashioned tannins, fresh acidity. Nice intensity, but relying a bit too much on the dry-your-mouth-out tannins and not much else. I like this, but it's not going to be a popular wine.