The story of the small Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano cooperative begins in 1972, when local winegrower banded together to promote the wines of the Tuscan Maremma. Just six year later, Morellino di Scansano was confirmed as a DOC, and then in 2006 it was upgraded to DOCG, Italy’s highest classification. Since then, the coop has concentrated on the quality of its wines, investing in a new bottling plant, ageing cellars and moving the vineyards of its members on to sustainable practices.
As evidenced by objects found near their tombs, the Etruscans were already producing wine here in the 3rd century BC. Votive statuettes depicting offerings of pruning tools to the gods have been found, and amphorae with wine residue have been discovered in the south of France, bearing stamps proving they came from the Maremma.
The town of Scansano gives its name to the Cooperative, which sees itself as guardian of a deep-rooted history, producing five million bottles per annum from 700 hectares of vineyard belonging to its 170 members.
The Maremma & Scansano
The Maremma stretches along the coast in the south of Tuscany, a land of wheat, vineyards and olive groves with the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. Its climate is Mediterranean along the coast, with hot, sunny summers and temperate winters. Inland is more continental with areas of higher altitude, including Scansano. Based around the village of the same name, the vineyards here include sedimentary rocks, clay and crushed stone.
Morellino is the local name for Sangiovese. The region’s most significant variety, it must constitute a minimum of 85% of DOCG wines. Morellino di Scansano DOCG is one of those appellations where the grape variety is part of the name – like Fiano di Avellino in Campania or Picpoul de Pinet in the Languedoc.
The remainder of a DOCG blend can be Alicante Bouschet, which is historically important in the region, or another local variety called Ciliegiolo. The latter is being vinified more and more as a single varietal wine, including an example tasted here. White wines are made from Vermentino.
The Wines
At time of review there is limited distribution of the wines in the UK via White Fox Wines of Chester and London Wine Deliveries.
(2024) Made from a single vineyard of late-harvested Vermentino co-planted with 15% Viognier, harvested around three week later than normal. It spends three months on the lees. There's a delicious edge of pineapple-like tropical fruit on the nose, the Viognier perhaps enhancing that exotic and floral appeal. Luscious honeyed notes and a hint of marzipan also suggest dessert wine sweetness, and yet the wine is dry with some edge and extract, giving a much more lime skin sense of grip and waxy/saline concentration. That hint of tropical fruit gives a balance of real charm and considerable intensity.
(2024) Sangiovese spends around four months on the lees in stainless steel, then into French oak barriques for 12 months, 20% new oak. Cherry dominates the aromatics, but the oak has given a lovely tobacco and vanilla roundness, a warming chestnut character in the background too. Once again that touch of lift to the aromas. The palate has a creamy ripeness to the tannins, which along with the oak-enriched red fruits that are also ripe and fleshy, gives the wine a chocolaty texture. The juicy plum-skin grip of the acidity balances the finish with a welcome touch of bitterness.
(2024) An organic certified partner to the regular Roggiano Morellino, this is just redolent of ripe, juicy cherries. There's a savoury edge that emerges, slightly cedary, smoky and meaty, moving on to the palate where that plump cherry ripeness reasserts. There's a delightful axis of ripe tannins and pin-sharp acidity here, adding a bittersweet, grown-up firmness to the fleshy mid-palate fruit.
(2024) Made in stainless steel with three months on the lees, this local grape variety was always a blending variety, but is being made as a single variety more and more. Very fruity and floral, the cherry and violet scents show a little white pepper lift. Lots of fruit on the palate too, again cherry. The tannins are fine, gentle but bone dry. Those marry with a refined acidity to make this fresh, red-fruited and finishing with just a hint of spice. The Cantina believe this variety has ageing potential too. Lovely.
(2024) All Sangiovese, this stays for 18 months in large 25hl oak barrels and new French oak barriques. This comes from a different soil from the Roggiano Riserva, with much more clay which the winery believes will benefit its longevity. It certainly has a serious, concentrated impact. Wispy smoke and cedar wreath around cherry on the nose, a certain earthy minerality. The palate balances a sinewy intensity with firm, juicy red and black fruit, tannins firm, fine and sandy. The acidity here is all important in creating a long, age-worthy and impressive wine.
(2024) The blend is Sangiovese 95%, Ciliegiolo 5%. Part of the Sangiovese is hand picked in small boxes and left to wither in refrigerated rooms, losing around 15% of its weight in a process known as Governo all’uso toscano. After about four weeks the blend is made with the fresh grapes and aged in stainless steel. Fine herbal notes, but again cherry is the overriding aromatic, a little violet lift and perhaps a small note of hessian or dried tree bark. In the mouth, buoyant, easy-drinking stuff with a lovely dry palate of plum, red berries and gentle tannins.
Hi Tom,
Agreed, Morellino offers great value, or at least it used to. I discovered it somewhere about the early noughties and, at the London Wine Fair in 2007 or 8, I tasted 43 of them. The chap in charge of the Morellino stamnd made me their representative in Scotland and I went away with a handful of maps, leaflets, etc which I handed out to students, sommelliers and such for the next few years.
One I was always impressed with is Podere 414 which is available from the Wine Society.
Thanks John. Yes, given the worldwide status of some other Tuscan appellations they do seem to be slightly under the radar, so good to see these very high quality wines getting support.