Morellino di Scansano
Encyclopedia
Morellino di Scansano DOCG is an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 red wine made in the hilly environs of the village of Scansano
Scansano
Scansano is a town and comune, of medieval origin, in the Tuscan province of Grosseto, Italy. The area which Scansano lies within is called Maremma.Scansano is notable for Morellino di Scansano, a type of wine....

 (GR
Province of Grosseto
The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...

), in the Maremma
Maremma
The Maremma is a vast area in Italy bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, consisting of part of south-western Tuscany - Maremma Livornese and Maremma Grossetana , and part of northern Lazio - Maremma Laziale .The poet Dante Alighieri in his Divina Commedia places the...

, which includes a part of the coast of southern Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....

 which has an ancient but obscure tradition of winemaking. Morellino is the local name for the Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...

 grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...

 varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...

. Many people think that the name Morellino comes from "Morello" (brown) , the colour of Maremmano horses. The name may also come from the Morello cherry, an almost inky red cherry with great tartness and acidity. The wine, which was granted DOC
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...

 status in 1978, and upgraded to DOCG status from the 2007 vintage, is made from at least 85% Sangiovese (which is also the basis of the tuscan wines: Chianti
Chianti
Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco ; however, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is now bottled in more standard shaped wine bottles...

, Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 120 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, roughly translated as "small dark one" in the local dialect, is the unofficial name of the clone of Sangiovese...

 and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal , blended with Canaiolo Nero and small amounts of other...

). The remaining 0–15% can comprise any non aromatic black grape varieties included in a list made and periodically updated by the Regione Toscana (Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....

) local authorities.

Appellation requirements

Morellino di Scansano does not need to age in wood and can be released in March after harvest, meaning that it can be found on the shelf with less than 8 months of life, thus an amazingly fresh and crisp wine.

Morellino di Scansano Riserva can be released on the 1st of January two years after the harvest. Of these two years, one at least must have been spent in wood.

External links

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