'98 Roggiano Morellino di Scansano

[ddf68]

This was the "Wine of the Week" at the restaurant I went to last night. Having no clue what it was, I had to order it. Dark ruby/red color, not much of a nose (this may be a function of too small glassware). Good black cherry flavors with leather and substantial tannin on the finish. Excellent density and concentration for what I assume is a $15 bottle at retail($36 on the wine list). Very tasty.

Got hold of the owner and according to her Morellino is a 100% Sangiovese from Scansano, a town/production area on the Tuscan coast. Apparently there's some sort of drying process which to me explains the relatively high density and concentration--more at the level of CC Riserva or lesser Brunello than CC.

ddf

[Innkeeper]

If it has the density of say, Rosso di Montalcino, and if the retail price is around $15, then it sounds like a good value. Then again, as me ole Irish grandmother used to say, "If ifs and ans were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers."

[Thomas]

Yeah, the Scansano's prefer to say that Morrelino is a different grape but the word is that it is Sangiovese. This is a situation where topography and technique make for the difference.

IK, I was never a good tinker--come to tink of it, I never had a good tought in my life. ...