8 minute read
the true meaning of super tuscan
WHAT TO DRINK
SiP
Welcome To SIP, our new regular column devoted to every delicious thing we can sip; wines, cocktails and non alcoholic delights.
Written by our journalist Maroulla Paul who is a self confessed nerd when it comes to wines and spirits. Maroulla has WSET Wines and Spirits Level 3, WSET Sake Level 1 and Capstone Level 1 (so far!)
THE TRUE MEANING OF SUPER TUSCAN
Cigar and umbrella cypress trees. Gentle rolling hills. Towns literally spilling over with tourists. Leaning towers. Michelangelo’s David. The best ice cream shop(s) in the world. The original skyscrapers. Delicious Sangiovese wines. This is the Tuscany we know and love.
But there is another side to Tuscany. A part where tourists barely tread. Where the landscape is rugged and mountainous. Here you will find chestnut forests, caves, wild boar and porcupine.
This is the Garfagnana region, located in the north west of Tuscany, north of Lucca - and it is full of secret treasures. Barga, a mediaeval town, is every bit as beautiful (in my opinion a lot more beautiful) as San Gimignano or Siena - but it is as peaceful a place as you can find. Its cathedral is dramatic and magnificent and you will most likely be the only visitor. The restaurants liberally shave white and black truffles (depending on the season) over hand made pasta. There is art everywhere including a lot by the late John Bellany who chose this place to be his home in his final years and found a quiet contentment he had never previously known.
About fifteen minutes outside of Barga is a little hilltop village called Fiattone that nestles in the clouds. It has 32 inhabitants, a church and one of the finest wineries in the world.
Podere Concori comprises five hectares of vineyards surrounded by ten hectares of forests. It is between the Apennines and the Apuan Alps some 300 to 400 metres above sea level. And it is a little bit of heaven.
It is owned by Gabriele da Prato who inherited it from his father, Luigi, who started making wine in the 1950s, particularly to supply a local taverna he owned, a place which the writer Giovanni Pascoli loved to frequent. When Gabriele took it over in 1998, he had bigger dreams than just making wine and keeping it in demijohns to serve in the taverna.
Each wine is a work of art crafted to perfection by Gabriele. These are called super Tuscans
Gabriele is a perfectionist and does not believe in taking the easy road. He transformed Concori from conventional winemaking to becoming completely natural organic and biodynamic and so making Podere Concori the first biodynamic winery in Garfagnana.
For Gabriele it has always been about quality and he has worked relentlessly to make the most extraordinary wines.
Currently there are seven in the portfolio. Two red Syrahs, Melograno and VignaPiezza. Pinot Noir simply named after the grape. Flos, a rose, and Dapri, a low alcohol Pet Nat which are both also from the Syrah grape. Podere Bianco, a white which is a blend of Chenin and Pinot Blanc. And, last but most definitely not least, La Calda which is, surprisingly for Tuscan wines, a Gewurztraminer.
Each wine is a work of art crafted to perfection by Gabriele. These are called super Tuscans not just because they do not use indigenous grapes, as is the usual definition, but in this case because that is precisely what they are.
My first introduction to Concori wines was the Melograno - the Italian word for pomegranate, chosen because the vines sit alongside pomegranate trees. I will never forget that moment when I originally tasted it because it was so sublimely special. A bright ruby red with berries, cherry and pepper, it is the classic Syrah.
Gabriele describes it as “rhythm, freshness and instinctive drinkability, like a beautiful song that you listen to over and over again without ever getting tired, so you finish the bottle in a few minutes.” You can tell he has art in his soul.
Then there is the VignaPiezza which has been described as one of the best expressions of Syrah in the whole of Italy. The grapes for this masterpiece are selected from ancient vines, planted by Gabriele’s great grandparents. The vines are planted on an extreme slope on the Serchio river which provides both ventilation and a balance of temperatures to perfectly yet gently ripen the grapes to perfection. The soils are a mix of silica, sandstone and stone. All of these elements combine to bring a richness, depth and complexity to this amazing wine.
The Pinot Noir needs no other name. These grapes come from a more northerly vineyard in a small gap right next to the chestnut forest and it has a rocky soil. The wine is exquisite. Wild berries and fresh cherries dominate the notes and its elegance is unparalleled.
rhythm, freshness and instinctive drinkability, like a beautiful song that you listen to over and over again without ever getting tired, so you finish the bottle in a few minutes.
Flos is a rose that Gabriele dedicates to his family's history and culture which has always been one of hospitality, of eating and drinking. It is 100% Syrah, macerated for eight hours and aged in concrete. It is the perfect companion for trout, a fish that is locally farmed.
Dapri is low alcohol, sparkling and just the perfect summer drink. Have it as an aperitivo or with dessert, or for breakfast with some divine Italian pastries. Again 100% Syrah, this on trend Pet Nat is the palest of pinks and like the other Syrahs sings of berries.
You could be fooled when tasting the Podere Bianco that you are drinking one of the finest wines the Loire Valley has to offer. This blend of Chenin and Pinot Blanc is not what we expect from Italian whites. But then again that is true of everything Gabriele does. The two vineyards are in the highest part of the estate on an ancient plot that was originally part of the church of Fiattone - so it is, indeed, holy wine. Like all Concori wines it speaks of its terroir, in this case drawing from the sand and shale of the soils.
While each and every one of the seven wines is my favourite depending on which one I am drinking, at the moment I am wholly obsessed with La Calda. Fermented in concrete with 30 days of skin contact this almost orange wine is completely extraordinary.
La Calda literally translates to The Hot and that is absolutely what this wine is. It has all the perfumed and floral aromas and tasting notes you would expect from a Gewurztraminer but with a refined complexity that would leave even the finest Alsace expressions of this grape way behind.
On your tour you will meet the winery mascot, Pietro the donkey, (who has his own instagram page) as well as the family dog. You can sit in the hammock and soak in the sun as Susanna tells you all about the terroir.
Italians never drink without food and most tastings in Italy come with cheeses and hams but at Concori this is taken to a whole different level. Gabriele’s wife, Michela, cooks a divine lunch and each course is accompanied, of course, by one of the wines. Michela is an artist herself making ceramics and a lot of the food is served on her creations.
This stunning lunch takes place in a room filled with art from local celebrated artists, there is a record player and a stack of LPs, Michela’s ceramics grace shelves. It is a space that is as beautiful as the landscape it sits within, and as perfect as the wines which are obviously the star of the show.
It's time for the Sassicaias and Tignanellos to move aside; Concori is the new super Super Tuscan.
Garfagnana, Fiattone and Podere Concori are all hidden treasures; all are the perfect places to switch off from the noise of life, to sit back, breathe and literally taste the magic.
Podere Concori ship their wines worldwide. To order, visit the website.
But better still, take a visit to the winery itself and enjoy a tour, tasting and lunch.
Podere Concori
Loc. Concori 1
55027
Gallicano, Lucca.
