Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Caburnio IGT 2018 Toscana ($28.99, 13.9% ABV) from the Tenuta Monteti winery in the medieval village of Capalbio, Toscana. As a writer, I am always embarrassed if I missed any typos in my rough drafts so I was intrigued that this wine’s name was the result of an ancient typo in “The History of Nature” by Pliny the Elder. He was writing about viticulture in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, but he wrote “Caburnicam” instead of “Narbonicam”.
Tenuta Monteti is located in the Maremma region of Toscana, 15 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The label shows gigantic boulders that were discovered during land preparation of the winery. The boulders were carefully extracted and placed around the estate against the background of the Monteti Hill which is a magnetic prehistoric volcano. The estate comprises 142 hectares, of which 30 are vineyards, 20 are olive trees and the remainder are fields and woods.
The story of Tenuta Monteti began in 1998 when Paolo and Gemma Bratta discovered this small valley. After a few years, dormant pastures were transformed into a vineyard for Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Their cellar was built partially underground to seamlessly blend into the landscape and their first vintage was released in 2004. Six years later, their daughter Eva, a filmmaker of documentaries and her husband, Javier Pedrazzini, an Argentinian diplomat, joined them as General Manager and Production Supervisor and Sales Manager, respectively.
By 2018, Tenuta Monteti expanded by purchasing a property nearby on the slopes of Monteti Hill with 5,000 organic olive trees, woods, and six additional hectares for planting new vineyards. Their Caburnio is 40-60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20-30% Alicante Bouschet and 10-20% Merlot. This complex yet fresh wine’s elegant aromatics of herbs, ripe red fruits, spices and smooth tannins have won over many customers. Pair with hearty roasts, steaks, sausages and braised beans. If you have not yet tasted it, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45.
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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