Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, our tasting is the last one before the holiday weekend when the stars align to celebrate Easter, Orthodox Easter or the last day of Passover on the same day. As we do every year, we will be offering three wines for your consideration, the Le Calle Rosa delle Calle IGT Rosato ($19.75, 13.5% ABV), from the Azienda Agricola Le Calle Di Riccardo Catocci winery in the Maremma region of Toscana; the Tiberio Trebbiano D’Abruzzo DOP ( $23.75, 13% ABV) from the Agricola Tiberio winery in Cugnoli, Abruzzo; and the Piaggia Il Sasso Carmignano DOCG ($37.75, 14.5% ABV) from the Mauro Vannucci vineyard in Piaggia, near Florence.
I thought this wine was the perfect for our Rose’ tasting since its beautiful label features a watercolor of a calla lily and the lily is a symbol of Easter. The Le Calle farmhouse is located in Maremma’s heart; between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Monte Amiata. Looking west from the terrace of their cellar you can see the Tyrrhenian Sea and looking east you can see Monte Amiata. Winemaker Riccardo Catocci and his wife Camilla are training their daughter Savina to continue the family tradition on their organic farm’s 17.5 hectares’ where five indigenous grapes are grown. Their Rosato is 100% Ciliegiolo (cherry), with a fresh aromas of cherry and rose petals, hints of strawberry, with crisp acidity for your Easter meal. We first tasted this Rose’ in early March and it was quite popular with our customers. The beautiful label would also make it a strong contender for a Mother’s day gift!
The story of Tiberio begins with Riccardo Tiberio, a winery export manager who discovered a very old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese vines. He understood how valuable high quality grapes could be and he resigned his position in 2000 to purchase the eight hectares he had found. He soon added another thirty-one hectares with the capability of producing single estate wines he soon launched in 2004 to great acclaim. The vineyards lay on ancient lands beneath the Maiella and Gran Sasso mountains, with a climate mix from the Adriatic Sea’s breezes and the cold mountain currents from the nearby Maiella massif. The vineyards ages vary from 25-90 years old with the Trebbiano Abruzzese vines being among the oldest in Abruzzo.
Since 2008, son Antonio (viticulturist) and daughter Cristiana (winemaker)share duties to manage their father’s estate. Their Trebbiano D’Abruzzo is 100% Trebbiano grape, with fresh aromas of apricot, grapefruit, and orange blossom with flavors of green apple and almond. If you are seeking a white wine for Easter, this one’s for you!
Il Sasso Carmignano DOCG
In 1990, Mauro Vannucci founded his fifteen hectare estate in Piaggia, with views of Florence, located in the heart of the Carmignano appellation, between two areas that had great potential to produce top quality wines. He launched his first Piaggia Carmignano Riserva DOCG in 1991 at the time he expanded his estate in one of the best areas of the DOC for a total 25 hectares, 15 of which are cultivated with vines.
The Il Sasso has a deep ruby red color, aromas of cherries and Marasca cherries, with notes of balsamic and spices. The original “Super Tuscan” from old-growth Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. Emily and her family visited winemaker Silvia a few years ago and enjoyed every drop of the Il Sasso! Fast forward to today when Piaggia has established a rock solid reputation among the great wineries of the Tuscan Carmignano DOCG, as evidenced by two of many industry accolades:
Gambero Rosso: “one of the best wineries in the region of Carmignano, rather, in Tuscany.”
The Wine Advocate: “The Carmignano Riserva is simply the best of the appellation.”
Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of these three exceptional wines!
Cin Cin! Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center, 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.
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