May 2024 - a Castel story by Ivana Capraro

Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2021 - Tenuta Le Pupille

Every month we present a wine from our cellar that our sommelier Ivana Capraro recommends for that month.

May 2024

As blossoming as the landscape, as beautiful the story of the "Ambassador of the Maremma"

May is the month of blossom. The rose is its symbolic flower and it also stands for femininity, beauty, elegance and love. In this monthly wine recommendation, I would therefore like to focus on one of the great women of Italian wine, Elisabetta Geppetti.

I have known the wines from Fattoria Le Pupille for a long time, but I was able to get to know the people behind them personally at a recent tasting. I was also delighted to get to know the "Lady of Morellino" or the "Ambassador of Maremma", as Elisabetta is also known.

She was the first president of the Consorzio del Morellino di Scansano in 1992 and the first woman to be voted "Winemaker of the Year" by the German Feinschmecker magazine in 2006. Elisabetta inherited her passion for wine from her grandfather Giacomo Tachis.

The winery

Tenuta Le Pupille

Son Ettore is now the main oenologist at the winery, which cultivates over 80 hectares of vineyards. A good third of this is planted exclusively with indigenous red grape varieties, although white wines are also grown.

The most important grape variety, as in the whole of Tuscany, is Sangiovese. 64% of Italy's 80,000 hectares of Sangiovese vineyards are located in Tuscany, 3880 of which are in the Maremma. This grape variety also makes up the majority of Morellino.

The soils of Fattoria Le Pupille are composed of sandstone alternating with layers of red clay.

The wine

Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2021

"This area is my life choice, just as winemaking has always been my profession."

Morellino is the wine of Maremma and also represents the roots of Fattoria Le Pupille. It is the winery's first wine to be produced and marketed under the newly introduced specifications for Morellino di Scansano, laying the foundations for a deep bond with the appellation.

A curiosity about the wine name "Morellino": Tradition has it that this comes from the Morelli horses. These are strong, dark-haired horses (of a blackberry-like colour - Mora in Italian) that once pulled the carriages of the nobility and officials in the Scansano region.

With few exceptions, around 40,000 bottles of Morellino di Scansano Riserva have been produced every year since 1978. The wine matures for 15 months in 10, 20 and 40 hectolitre wooden barrels.

Grape variety:

90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Colour:

Deep, bright ruby red colour

Nose:

Blackberry and blueberry jam, blackcurrant and mint; opening aromas of "Macchia Mediterranea", blood orange, tobacco and black pepper.

On the palate:

Fresh and flavoursome at the start with a dynamic structure, fine tannic texture as an excellent basis for a long development in the bottle. Very persistent with notes of citrus fruits.

Pairing:

Pork belly, tagliolini with lamb ragout and other aromatic dishes.

Salute!

Would you like to try it?

Enjoy Castel wines at home

Weinempfehlung des Sommelière Ivana Capraro

You can enjoy the Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2021 wine and other wines from the Fattoria Le Pupille winery at the Castel and take some home with you from our hotel's own wine shop at attractive prices. Alternatively, we will be happy to send you your favourite wines directly.

Cheers!

Discover more Castel stories