Scopetone, Tuscany

Loredana and Antonio read the sunny 2011 vintage perfectly, choosing not to deleaf, so protecting against the rays, and macerating the skins for 15 days (versus 24 for 2009). The result is a luminous, sunset-blush, strawberry-red wine; one whose nose – of finely-tuned, warm, precise, kirsch, cassis and strawberry – one could dive into. Aged for nearly three years in third-fill Austrian oak barrels, the trim palate rolls gorgeously on, a thread of succulent cassis, soft but refined; a flow of pure delight.

This jewel of a Montalcino estate was first planted in 1978 by Federigo Abbarchi and Angela Corioni on marne and iron-rich, red, silt soils at 450 metres above sea-level on the north-western corner of Montalcino; bottling began in 1982 under the eye of Giulio Gambelli. Skip to 2009, and locals Loredana Tanganelli, husband Antonio and daughter Giada started to rent the 1.5-hectare gem from Angela Corioni, adding another 1.5 hectares of their own land. These smooth wines are sensitively and traditionally made using stainless steel and 33-hectolitre Pauscha Austrian oak botti.

Compared to the whiter tufo soils of La Serena (Cerbaiona) on the north east corner of Montalcino, Scopetone is located in the north-west, below the city walls, on friable red chestnut soils mixed with more typical rocky galestro/alberese elements. In June 2013, pre-bottling, I noted their wine as having compact, tight clove red berried perfume, a hint of eucalyptus/balsamic/black pepper, as being more complete than 2009; with suave, pretty cassis, liquorice, tobacco fruit, molten tannins ‘fondo’ (depth).

Last year: it presented as a ‘gioiellino’ (a little gem), with soft perfumed pepper/clove/cassi fruit, racy, nuanced moreish. Last week (late Jan ’15): distinctly rose/Chinato, medicinal/iodine, fabulous rose raciness, a flowing thread of cassis, compact, linear neat.
David Berry Green