07/09/2024
Wine of the Week
Castello di Ama
Al Poggio
Chardonnay di Toscana IGT
We’re officially in July, and that’s when we like to go deep into the elegant and gutsy world of Tuscan wines. What do we love in Tuscany? The classics: Traditional wines like Brunello & Rossoi di Montalcino: sturdy, savory cherry-fruited wines that definitely tell a story when the cork is pulled. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: old-school wines that truly fit the Italian dining philosophy that wine is another carefully-crafted element on the dinner table. Under-the-radar traditional whites from Vernaccia, Malvasia & Trebbiano, which can be excellent when sourced from thoughtful winemakers. There’s the big reds not entirely from Sangiovese: the Merlot, Cabernet, Cab Franc, Syrah-based wines which we like with cheese after our Bistecca Fiorentina (pair with a 100% Sangiovese wine like Pergola Torte, Flaccionello or Sono). To finish? Vin Santo, of course; a super sweet, sticky wine which can spend a decade just fermenting!
Well, that was along tangent, but there is a rare style of Tuscan wine which has an important place at the summer dinner table: Tuscan Chardonnay. Perfect with fish or chicken main courses, perfect when its a little too hot for a red, and you want to follow up the light, crisp white you had with your fava-pecorino salad & chicken liver crostini.
Year after year, this is our favorite local Chardonnay. Not too crisp, not too round, but just right; almost like they set out to create the perfect rich, summertime white. Some of it sees oak, which some of is old. Some of it sees malolactic fermentation, so it’s slightly supple.Most of it is done cool in stainless steel, and a tiny bit of it has extended skin contact. A complex recipe that Castello di Ama has been developing since 1985.
As always, come try it this Friday in the store
