An unusual post, but these were two unusual wines that I had the chance to taste recently, so I thought I could share some impressions.

Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, 2014

Le Pergole Torte is a Super Tuscan (Toscana IGT, but 100% Sangiovese) by Monte Vertine estate, based in Radda in Chianti. Originally developed with the help of master taster Giulio Gambelli, it has been able to carve its own name and now it is a bit of an “outsider” in the Super Tuscan category, meaning that it is not the first name coming to your mind when talking about Super Tuscans, but the latest vintage still fetches around 15,000 yen (120 euros more or less) in Japan. The label, designed by Alberto Manfredi, is another peculiar feature of Pergole Torte, and it changes every year, while keeping the same stylistic “footprint”.
This vintage, 2014, was not an easy one in Toscana and I have had my share of underwhelming wines already. So I was prepared, and I must say this was no exception: by no means a bad wine, it felt quite thin nonetheless. I admire the well dosed oak, which did not covered the lingering red fruit, dried herbs and earthy aromas, and yet the wine just did not stick on the palate as much as, personally, I expect from a bottle that asks you no small price. That’s a very good wine for sure, but it failed to meet my expectation.

Biava Moscato di Scanzo DOCG 2012

Such a rare wine (even more in Japan) that I could not help but trying it. Moscato di Scanzo is the smallest DOCG of Italy (just over 30 ha), and it is made from the grape of the same name. It is a passito red wine, on the same lines of Recioto della Valpolicella, but featuring a different grape, from a different area, under different rules.
Excellent: extremely well integrated and complex, fresh and savory without being dried or hot, considering the 15% alcohol. White peppery, with sour red fruits and tertiary aromas of tobacco, dried leaves and leather. The sweetness (here 80 g/L) is balanced by the assertive, though not high, tannins and the fresh acidity. Not cloying nor tiring, but refined and multifaceted. Really a wine without fault, almost at its peak now. The price is even higher than Pergole Torte, around 14,000 yen for a 500ml bottle (ugh), but I can see the reason why.

The wines were tasted by the glass in Aoyama, at Sasala.