Wines made from Sangiovese grapes of Cortona

I’m fortunate enough to taste a fair amount of fine wine each year and I have come to the conclusion that each of us is forced to build our own stylistic preferences, regardless of the appellation or classification of a wine. Instead of simply choosing a bottle of Bordeaux over Barolo, for example, most of us probably aim to drink each on the right occasion and, in doing so, carve out our individual preferences for these wines. My personal bias – which I must confess, to be fair and transp ...

There are historic links between the area and the Frescobaldi family, which will make Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wines at Tenuta Calimaia. Frescobaldi originally acquired the estate last year, when it was known as Corte alla Flora, and has now relaunched it within the group’s portfolio of Tuscan wineries. Tenuta Calimaia vineyards. Photo credit: Marchesi Frescobaldi. Montepulciano’s beauty ‘is literally breath-taking’, said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi. ‘Here, i ...

I’ve had the ‘decant or not decant’ conversation countless times with wine lovers and industry insiders, and have discovered that most either love or hate these seemingly benign glass containers. I fall firmly into the hate ’em camp, especially when it comes to decanting old wines. Aged wines are fragile, and after years of being under cork the sudden explosion of oxygen creates the worst possible shock. On impact, the wine loses aromas and flavours that will never be recovered. Decanting is lik ...