If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Tenuta della Luia.

Mission Codename: Roman Holiday

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Follow Up on Agent Baco’s Italian Escapades

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Tenuta della Luia

Wine Subject: 2003 Rosso di Toscana – Super Tuscan

Winemaker: Fabrizio Moltard

Backgrounder:

In just the last decade, Super Tuscans became the latest rage in Italian wine in the United States, however, their story goes back to the late 1940s when the famed Sassicaia wine was reportedly made by Incisa della Rochetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, or so the legend goes. Now Super Tuscans are the ‘Bordeaux’ of West-Central Italy, expertly blended with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and often Merlot, Colorino and other local grape varietals. Most interestingly, most Super Tuscans do not quality for DOC status despite being among the best wines from the region.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple, almost black and inky with slow thick legs that indicate this wine’s viscosity.

Smell – Intense wild blackberries with hints of tasted chestnuts and licorice. This wine also has aromas of black pepper and earth.

Feel – Dry and warm on the tongue, this full-bodied wine has medium tannins and a chewy quality. As this wine opens up it becomes almost velvety in nature.

Taste – Extremely well balanced fruit, most notably blackberries and blueberries, with layers of oak, black pepper and an earthy quality and of course, that unique, almost orange zest spiciness that you only find in exceptional Italian wines.

Finish – This wine finishes beautifully long and dry with a slight vegital quality.

Conclusion – Quite simply, this is one of the best Super Tuscans we have tasted. It shows all of the varietal characteristics of the component grapes as well as the synergy of the blend. It is rich, smooth, well balanced and integrated in flavor, texture and finish. If you are fan of Italian wine, this is one to get as Tenuta della Luia will soon be the highlight of many a wine-list in the top Italian restaurants and steak houses.

Mission Report:

The last time I was in Italy, it was to check up on Agent Baco. HQ had thought she had been compromised. How could it be that Baco could consistently find us great wine after great wine. She had to be on the take. She had been on paid administrative leave ever since.

While the investigation is still pending, word has it that she will be reinstated shortly. I wanted to deliver the news personally, so while passing through Rome, I took the short train trip to Florence where I new I could find her. She was known to frequent the Acquo ai Due on the Piazza San Firenze in the old city.

As expected, she was there, not sipping an espresso but with a bottle of wine on the table. (May I say, it was nearly empty – but I am glad to have arrived when I did so I could taste the last glass). The wine happened to be the 2003 Tenuta della Luia Rosso di Toscana. After taking my first sip, I knew why Baco had that sly smile on her face.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” she said, passing a piece of paper with some notes scribbled on it, “I almost polished this off without you.” “How did you know?” I asked. “Agent Blush told me you had some news for me, and I know you well enough that you like to personally deliver messages.” So much for keeping covert cover. “You’d better go soon, Alessandro (Alessandro Gori, the owner of Tenuta della Luia) is waiting for you. I figured you’d like to meet him.”

With that, Baco got up, fixed her sunglasses and skirt and walked off towards the Palazzo…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Tenuta della Luia Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.