May 27, 2010 continued
So despite a lack of sleep I managed to get up on time and head off to meet the rest of our group at breakfast at about 8am and then head along in a Mercedes Benz “van” if you could call it that to Chianti Rufina. There is a lot of diversity within what the consumer may just know as “Chianti” and Chianti has very little to do with the fiasco, or the woven bottle that you would put a colorful candle into. The wines of Chianti have always had renown, partially due to the fact that this Tuscan wine growing area is very close to Florence, a major area for banking and a traditionally wealthy city. Chianti Classico, the original area and a separate DOCG, is just one of multiple Chianti regions, for example Chianti Colli Senese (the area near Siena), Chianti Fiorentini (on the hills near Florence) and Chianti Rufina, not to be confused with the brand named Ruffino which is a totally separate thing. Maybe I am tired… It’s really not that confusing, it’s just that each of these regions has different characteristics that make the wines taste different so they are kept separate, the concept the French call “terroir”. We headed out to Rufina which was an easy 30 km drive northeast of Florence, to Castello di Nipozzano which passed hands in 1877 to the noble family of Frescobaldi when Angelo de Frescobaldi wed Leonia Albizi.
First we visited the famed estate vineyards that range in altitude from the Arno River at 250 meters in elevation to the crest of the hill at 500m. Soils change as you get futher from the river with sand close to the river, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, calcareous clay mid-slope, great for Merlot and the famed soil of the area, galestro, a schistous compressed clay soil towards the higher elevations, ideal for the picky Sangiovese.
Sangiovese is a difficult grape to grow as many California producers have noticed, due to the fact that it has a lot of vigor, it grows and grows, so rocky soils with less nutrients are ideal for it. These vineyards are at the foot of the Appenine Mountains that run down the spine of Italy from North to South offering cooling air at night to retain aromatics and finesse in the wines. We met with winemaker Niccolo D’Afflitto at the vineyards and he also guided us through the cellar explaining how he keeps the pumpovers in the winery under close guard by keeping the system closed and only adding oxygen as needed to retain aromatics. He said he does not ever want to walk into the winery and smell wine, he would rather save that beautiful smell for the consumer when they open the bottle to enjoy it!
We entered the villa and were met by Leonardo Frescobaldi, the President and tasted through the Mormoreto 2006, 2007 and barrel samples of the 2008 and 2009. The wines are a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot which seems strange until you learn that these grapes were grown on the property for ages. Due to unfavorable relations between the Frescobaldi family and the Medici some Frescobaldis left Italy for a time and spent time in France. One of these ancestors was famed for bringing back these grapes in the 1850s along with some Pinot Noir and Chardonnay now planted in the neighboring area of Pomino. The Colors of the wines were intense hues of magenta and just as Niccolo had suggested the aromatics were astonishing. Aromas of mulberry, blackcurrant, resinous herbs jump from the glass and despite the Bordeaux varieties have no resemblance to Bordeaux. Lifted by vibrant acidity and balanced in their oakiness (the Marchesi de Frescobaldi says “If you like vanilla go buy a vanilla ice cream”) these are wines great for a meal.
We left our wines to open up with some more air and took our “van” up to the nearby estate Castello di Pomino. This area used to be connected to the Chianti Rufina appellation but has no resemblance to it in either soil or climate. Way back in 1715 it was demarcated as significant wine growing area, and in 1983 was separated from Chianti Rufina. The Frescobaldi family are the largest landowners and producers in the region, so it is almost a monopole.
The minute you start winding up the hills to reach this region (a mere 15 minutes from Nipozzano) you feel like you are in a different country. Leonardo Frescobaldi joked with us to be sure we had our passports! It really did feel more like an alpine region as pines and different vegetation became visible. Vineyards here sit at higher elevation, 400-750 meters, so different vines are at home here. It is named after apples, grown here on the gravelly, acidic soils. Of course with the different microclimate the grapes grown are also distinct including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Moscato.
Most exciting for me was the Vin Santeria, or the room where Vin Santo is produced. Here they take harvested Chardonnay and Trebbiano grape bunches and hang them from wooden rafters with hooks. The grapes stay there for about three months, in the fall and winter and most importantly this room is up high and has windows that are opened to allow for breezes, always strong in Pomino, to dry the grapes and also prevent spoilage. After pressing the juice is put into exile in barrels (Caratelli sigillati) 2/3 filled where it ferments slowly. They close these barrels with wooden tops and try to forget about them for four or five years (they cannot reopen these to check on the wine.) When they revisit the wine it has evolved into a coppery toned elixir that is sweet (180 g/l residual sugar) and luscious. We tasted a Chardonnay that they oak and lees stir to produce Benefizio and also a Pinot Noir out of barrel that had a tart cherry nose and a concentrated core of fruit but was unique to Pinot Noir from other wine regions.
After visiting the newly restored chapel frescoes we jumped back into our “van” and zipped back to Nipozzano where we enjoyed lunch with Marchesi de Frescobaldi and Tiziana Frescobaldi Board Member and Director of Press Relations. We enjoyed a ricotta puff pastry on a bed of spinach drizzled with pesto, which was perfect with the Pomino Benefizio 2007, Capellini pasta with a simple and delicious tomato basil sauce, with Nipozzano 2007 Chianti Rufina Riserva (90% Sangiovese with the traditional grapes completing the blend) and then a Gallentine en Pollo (stuffed chicken) with rosemary potatoes and cauliflower with Montesodi Riserva Chianti Rufina 2007 (100% Sangiovese). We finished with an almond cake and Vin Santo.
After saying goodbye to the family we toured the old wine cellar where the family’s ration of wines are stored in anticipation of their use when they are born and then headed back to Florence.
Upon entering the hotel I was met with the effusive smell of jasmine, did a quick change into shorts and FitFlops and hit the city of Florence hard (I only had three hours). I made a bee line to the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella at 16 Via della Scala www.smnovella.com. Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world founded by Dominican friars after 1221 who made medications from the herbs grown in their gardens. Amazingly it has been open to the public since 1612. For anyone that loves perfume and scent this place is mecca. When you open the doors you enter a marble corridor and are immediately greeted by an intriguing mix of aromatic essences all of which mingle into a unique scent reminiscent of light top notes of fields of flowers but also incense and heavier aromas. The main room is gorgeous and impossible to capture on film despite the numerous tourists who are there trying. It seems almost sacrilege to try to photograph this ancient site and the filtered light gives a very serene calm to the place. Three rooms house the wares, one for the edible items, one for the home fragrances and accessories and the main room for the essential oils and perfume. Scent strips are available and you can peruse the list in multiple languages and ask to smell anything you wish.
After enjoying Santa Maria Novella I hoofed around in search of leather goods and found them over at the boar where you can rub its snout. I ended up walking all the way to Santa Croce and then walked across the Arno on the Ponte Vecchio, focal point of the city, over to Palazzo Pitti and Santo Spirito and then back across and yes, back to Santa Maria Novella to revisit an aroma and ultimately back to the hotel.
Dinner was at Cibreo where we were treated like royalty (I guess that is what happens when the Frescobaldi family makes your reservation). Waiters here have no written menu but sit with your table for consultation, many extra dishes were brought to taste. We drank Luce della Vite, a more modern style wine coming from the Montalcino area and 2005 Mormoreto. Dishes were too numerous to mention but the highlights included pickled carrots and zucchini, a flan with meat sauce and parmesan, spicy tomato aspic, a minestrone with amberjack (a fish) that was killer, and my entrée, rabbit in a dark chocolate sauce with spices including cumin and raw hazelnuts. The dish was so intriguing and made me think of mole from Mexico. It was truly delicious and made me wonder how these cultures melding created this dish that son of owner Fabio Picchi said has been passed down through his family for generations.
Overall it was a great day, fueled by adrenaline and vibrant sights and smells I never even lagged. I tried to write when I returned to the room, but fell into a happy slumber and awoke this morning at about 5:25 eager to write and hearing all the glorious birdsong that’s just a bit different than that in the US. Stepping onto the balcony I got a strong waft of the just extinguished waxy smell of the citronella candles on the cool morning breeze, kind of a mix of summer picnics and church.
Today we leave Florence and head to Umbria.
Cibreo Ristorante Via A. Del Verrocchio, 8 r Florence 055 234 11 00
Santa Maria Novella Via della Scala, 16, Firenze http://www.smnovella.com
RebeccaChapa.com 