Today, July 3rd we are visiting Col di Bacche, a winery in the hills above Grosseto, Italy in a specific region known as Morellino di Scansano.
We are welcomed by Cosimo Carnasciali, who we learn is the son of the owners and winemakers of Col di Bacche. He is warm, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about all the detailed aspects of their viticulture and wine making operation. I get the sense that he lives, breathes and dedicates much of his time to this business. He leads us into the tasting room to introduce us to their family history, their wines and two friendly dogs. The younger pup comes inside with us and picks a spot to sleep. It is a unusually warm day and we too are happy to be inside in the cool room.
The family started this winery in 1998 when they planted their first grape vines. The soils here are mostly sandy with some calcareous soil as well. 2001 was their first harvest of the Morellino di Scansano. After 2001 they decided to split their production into Morellino and a Reserva. Cosimo states that for their Reserva designation, the wine can have up to a maximum blend of 15% of one or more black grape varietals. For that reason and others we later learn they have also planted Cab Sav, Merlot and Syrah varietals on the premises. Their vineyard covers over 13 hectares (approximately 32 acres) of land. Production yields approximately 80,000 bottles/year.
As Cosimo readies us for a tasting, I ask him about the choice for the name of their winery. Col di Bacche in Italian means “hill of berries”. Specifically a certain variety of cherry that grows in this region. It’s very dark, has a bit of an acidic flavor that mimics and lends itself to the flavor of wines only produced in this region. The grape is the well know Italian varietal, Sangiovese but it is the terroir, specifically here in Morellino that makes this Sangiovese so special and noteworthy.
Tasting notes
While we did taste 6 wines, I chose just 3 to review here. I have to add however that what almost never happens happened. I loved all 6 enough to recommend them all.
IGT Toscana Vermentino 2018
What a great start to our tasting! Chilled to just the perfect temperature (42.8F/6C), it is moderately dry with a beautiful floral finish. I’m pretty particularly on the body a wine brings and this wine doesn’t disappoint. It’s soft and smooth and sits well with the floral flavor not dissipating until swallowed. Col di Bacche produces about 10,000 bottles of this Vermentino wine / year. It is as it’s vintage states, a very young wine meant to be drunk within a few years of it’s harvest. It is a welcome reprieve to a very warm day.
€9,00
Much later in our visit I had the chance to try a 2017 of the same wine. What a difference a year makes. I was chatting with my fellow tasters on the comparative flavor profile of this ’17 vs. the ’18. I tasted more minerality in the ’17 than the ’18 and a slight, still very pleasant, softening of the floral flavors. I could describe the ’17 has having a more complex flavor over the ’18 youth however both very pleasant in their own way.
Cupinero – 2015
“Dark Black” is the literal translation of this wine. Made up of 100% Merlot the color honors it’s name. Picture a bottomless, inky dark ruby color edged with a paler pink reflecting it’s still relatively young age. Cosimo says the skins are left on for up to 35 days during the maceration process with a daily tasting to guide their progress. Once they achieve the right structure and taste profile anytime during those 35 days, they then remove the skins. They also use a particular part of their Merlot vineyard’s harvest for this wine. These specific smaller, more concentrated Merlot grapes are found nearest the top of the hillside and are harvested and used to lend sweetness to this particular wine.
€21,00
Poggioalleviole – 2015
Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, we learn this varietal is harvested in the second half of September with a maceration time table of approximately up to 35 days as well. Again, verifying daily it’s progress. It is then aged for 15 months in barriques plus some time in the bottle. Upon tasting this Sangiovese, the floral notes meet you at your first tip of the glass. I often find 100% Sangiovese wines to be a bit “earthy”, but pleasantly this one is not that at all. There is a lot of depth, peppery spice and chocolate sweetness to this wine. With minimal tannins and acidity, there is no need to aerate or decant this wine.
The literal translation for the name of this wine compliments its dark purple color. Poggio alle viole means “knoll of violets”. As it turns out this is my husband’s and Cosimo’s favorite wine.
€30,00
Col di Bacche exports around the world and also sells and ships direct to consumer. For US customers, they also have distributors in New York, New Jersey and Missouri. For more information or to schedule a tasting they can be reached at [email protected].
More information on the Morellino di Scansano region in Tuscany and the DOCG designation is available at https://www.consorziomorellino.it/en/