It was a hot evening the night of my annual July 4 magnum party for key wine producers and friends in Tuscany. About 200 people attended, and most were wine producers or vintners. Many came from Piedmont as well as such far away places as Sicily, Campania, and Sardinia. Everyone brought a magnum to share. So it was an evening of hearty Tuscan food, wine tasting, music, and conversation. I hope to invite readers of my site next year to the party.
The event also kicked off my tasting this summer in Italy. I have been living part of the year in Tuscany for 17 years now. I have about 2,000 samples to taste this summer and they are all in my temperature-controlled cellar at home. I try to taste between 30 and 50 wines everyday. Most of the wines are from 2011, 2012, and 2013, particularly red. The whites are mostly 2013 and 2014. It’s interesting to see the styles coming through. The 2011s seem to be a riper and richer style for the reds, while 2012 and 2013 are fresher and finer. The 2013 whites are delicious and flavorful while 2014s are leaner and higher in acidity. I am not sure what the 2014 reds will be but no one is expecting anything very exciting following the cool and wet growing season last year.
Anyway, these are just some general ideas I have from discussions with vintners and tasting about 200 wines so far. Stay tuned for regular reports. We have plans in the next week or so for tasting reports on the Tuscan coast (mostly Bolgheri), Alto Adige, and Chianti Classico Riserva versus Gran Selezione. Plus, there are many more wines to taste!
