SOLD OUT! How often do you come across 93 point rated wines for less than $15? How about 93 point rated wines from one of Italy’s most famous names in Amarone? Rarely, hardly ever, never!
Trust us folks, the 2012 Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo is one of our best finds of the new year, and it’s more than worthy of the press that has been bestowed up on it. After pouring it this past Saturday and running out way too fast, we think the wine loving folks who frequent Table Wine concur.
2012 Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo
93 points Vinous Media
SOLD OUT
The famed Tommasi family of Valpolicella purchased the Poggio al Tufo Estate in 1997. Located in Maremma, along Tuscany’s southwestern coast, this region has long been a hotbed of Super Tuscan activity. Ever heard of Tignanello, Sassicaia, or Ornellaia? These legendary estates were some of the pioneers of the region, and these days, their wines sell for hundreds of dollars.
What these famed estates and the Tommasi family recognized about the Maremma region were some very special traits that would allow them to propel Tuscan wines to new heights. First and foremost, it’s all about the dirt, namely the vein of the famed galestro soil of Brunello di Montalcino that is prevalent throughout the region. This rocky, hard to work soil stresses the vines and yields wines with full, assertive flavors.
The region is also one of the warmest in all of Tuscany, and this allows for richer and riper Sangiovese as well as the cultivation of later ripening Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and Syrah. When these grapes are combined in varying proportions, the net result is that you get complex red wines that combine the earthy, red fruit of Sangiovese with the darker fruit and more powerful structure of the other varietals. It’s no surprise that the region has become known as Super Tuscan Central.
When the Tommasi family set up shop in the zone in 1997, one of their first creations was Rompicollo, a term that roughly translates as “neck-breaking” in English. The name was inspired by the backbreaking labor required to farm in the volcanic, Tufo-rich soils of the area. Trust us, there’s nothing “hard” about buying or drinking this wine.
Rated 93 points by Ian D’Agata of Vinous Media (one of our favorite wine reviewing journals), that puts this one in the same ranks as wines that cost well north of $100. A blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 12 months in Slovenian oak, this one bursts out of the glass with ripe, warm aromas of cherry, blackberry, blueberry and plum along with more complex notes of sun baked earth, brown spice, and a touch of black pepper. On the palate, it’s powerful but accessible, with well integrated tannins, plush fruit, and a 30+ second finish. Drink it with a big plate of Italian antipasto for simple pleasure or decant and drink with your favorite meat.
D’Agata said: “Dark bright red. Amarone-like opulence on the nose and in the mouth, with a raisiny nuance to the ripe, soft red cherry, sweet spice and herb aromas and flavors. So velvety and opulent I would have tasted it in Veneto had I tasted it blind, but it’s so well balanced and smooth that it’s pretty irresistible. Finishes long, with lush, smooth tannins and a hint of residual sweetness. I really like this wine because, for all its showy sweetness and opulence, it manages to retain a graceful quality without going over the top. Amarone lovers will score it even higher than I have.”
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville