La Selva Ciliegiolo 2007

Our final bottle brought back from Tuscany...(sigh)... We were hanging on to this one for sentimentality sake when, while visiting with Roland Krebser (the winemaker himself!) in NY, we were ordered to drink it.

EXPERIENCE
The cork has a very light hint of fruit. The first nose has notes of truffle, dark fruit, and cherries. The first taste has a jammy cherry flavor on the tongue with a semi-tart dry finish. Medium body with a good balance of fruit, acid, and earthy tannins throughout the tasting. The cherry aroma that ciliegiolo is known for is ever present, but never overwhelming. Though we never talk about terroir, this is a great and obvious example for us. Here you have a very unique grape with strong characteristics, but the resultant wine has many of the same characteristics of La Selva's other wines and of the region in general. A great wine and lesson to be learned all in one bottle!

VERDICT
GREAT VALUE - This was one of our favorite wines from all of our Italian travels, and that memory holds true. A really unique grape made into an excellently balanced and interesting wine. Of course... you can't get it here in the US, but hopefully that will change soon. It looks like the wine sells for around 20 Euros in Europe... if you can find some, get it!

FACTS
This IGT wine is made from 100% organic ciliegiolo grapes at La Selva's winery near Magliano in Toscana in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwest Tuscano. The wine is vinified in stainless steel and aged in oak barriques for 8 months before being bottled. We have had the great fortune of being in touch with the winemaker, Roland Krebser, after meeting him during a tour of the winery. According to the man himself, his wines are meant to be drank young. So forget about sticking these in the cellar and buy a case to drink now!

Motta Giove Ciliegiolo 2008

Alongside the Motta Morellino we found this... 100% ciliegolo. Definitely something you don't see often and an opportunity to compare the pure grape to the morellino blend.

EXPERIENCE
The nose... well, frankly, it smells like cherry NyQuil. Maybe thats a bit harsh... at best cherry brandy. You are punched in the face with alcohol and cherries, and thats about it. Taste follows suit... overpowering cherries, lots of alcohol, sweet and smooth finish. It almost drinks like grappa, though the alcohol content is not high. We decanted for almost 2 hours... no change.

VERDICT
TASTES CHEAP - This bottle was around $20, and while interesting, it was practically undrinkable. We tasted this when we were halfway through the Motta Morellino, and it was interesting to really get a sense of the ciliegiolo and how it combines with the sangiovese. We've had ciliogiolo before and actually enjoyed drinking it, so give it a chance... just not this one.

FACTS
Motta's Giove is an IGT classified wine made from 100% ciliegolo. Motta is located near Grosseto in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwester Toscana. Checkout Motta's website for more info.

Motta Morellino di Scansano 2008

Always on the lookout for a new morellino, we found this wine that pairs ciliegiolo with the requisite sangiovese. Not something you see very often and certainly worth investigating...

EXPERIENCE
The nose sweet and floral with a strong scent of forrest berries. First taste is dark cherries as it hits your tongue. Light tannins and a very smooth finish. As is opens... the nose becomes more smoky and earthy, reminiscent of skins and stems. The taste and finish become more peppery with the sangiovese balancing out the cherry-like ciliegiolo. Fuller than your average morellino with well balanced flavors throughout.

VERDICT
GOOD AND CHEAP - We picked this up for $19.99 at a local shop and we'll gladly grab it again. We're morellino fans in general, but this one really stands out. The two grapes in this are almost at odds, but come together to make a really unique wine. Not a replacement for the lighter, peppery blends, but a welcomed varation.

FACTS
Motta is located near Grosseto in the beautiful Maremma region of Southwester Toscana. Their Morellino di Scansano is classified DOCG and is made up of 85% sangiovese and 15% ciliegiolo. Checkout Motta's website for more info.