2015 Monteraponi Toscana Rosso Baron' Ugo

Monteraponi is in a medieval hamlet in Chianti on land that was in the 10th century owned by the Marquis of Tuscany. He later donated the land to an abbey, and in the 12th century stone buildings were erected on the site. Today the ancient buildings house Monteraponi winery. Though the Braganti family has owned the estate since 1974, it was only in 2003 that Michele Braganti started using the grapes grown on the estate’s 30 acres of vineyards to make wine. For decades the grapes had been sold to other winemakers. Today Monteraponi makes a range of appellation specific wines, including Chianti. Vinous has noted that those “looking for under-the-radar, classically-leaning Chianti Classico will find that and more at Monteraponi…. Monteraponi is at or near the top of the list of properties that have the potential to enter the realm of the truly elite in Italy.”

Tuscany, or Toscana in Italian, is Italy’s best-known wine region and its most diverse. Historically Sangiovese was the primary grape grown in Tuscany and Chianti was considered the purest expression of Sangiovese. Sangiovese and its many clones are still important, and they are the grapes used for the Tuscan appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Chianti, Chianti Classico and Carmignano. But in the last 50 years innovative producers, many of them in southwestern Tuscany in the area called Maremma, have also planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The tradition defying producers have blended those varietals with Sangiovese to produce dazzling wines that do not conform to Italy’s appellation regulations. Such wines are called Super Tuscans and cannot be labeled with either of Italy’s highest level quality designations, which are in order of status Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantia, (DOCG), and Denominazione di Origine Controllata, (DOC). (This has not at all hindered the demand for Super Tuscans, some of which are consistently among the world’s most admired and well-reviewed wines.) Tuscany has six DOCG appellations and thirty-four DOCs. Though famous for its red wines, Tuscany also produces whites made primarily from Trebbiano and Vernaccia. There are also many Tuscan Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT) wines that are often an innovative blend of traditional and non-traditional grapes. This relatively new appellation status was started in 1992 as an attempt to give an official classification to Italy’s many newer blends that do fit the strict requirements of DOC and DOCG classifications. IGT wines may use the name of the region and varietal on their label or in their name.

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”