Description
Claudio Morelli, Colli Pesaresi Sangiovese
Today’s wine launched a sneak attack on us, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a while. Claudio Morelli’s vineyards and olive groves are perched not far from the Adriatic Sea, near the coastal town of Pesaro, and while this might not be the first place you’d look for Sangiovese, there’s no disputing the delicious results. This un-oaked, modestly priced bottling is a spot-on expression of the Sangiovese variety—a sunny, juicy style reminiscent of a lighter Rosso di Montalcino.
The Colli Pesaresi appellation is not exactly a household name, not even for seasoned Italian wine drinkers, but if Morelli keeps this up it may well become one. We loved this wine’s purity and proportion, and how it exhibited the characteristic freshness and bounce of the variety without any excessive tartness (an occasional issue with Sangiovese) or dried-out fruit. As often happens in our tastings, this was one of the cheapest bottles on the table and the one everyone kept returning to—one heck of a showing for an obscure $25 bottle!
The Morelli estate goes back generations and traditionally produced not just wine grapes but olives and other fruits and vegetables. In the 1950s, the focus shifted almost exclusively to wine and olive oil, and today Claudio Morelli farms 22 hectares of vineyards and 400 olive trees. Bianchello/Biancame, which is thought to be a branch of Italy’s vast Trebbiano family, is Morelli’s main preoccupation, although he grows Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and several other red grapes as well. The soils in the area are a mix of hard volcanic tuff and sand, and the proximity of the vineyards to the Adriatic provides ample ventilation, allowing for extended hang time of the grapes.
The exact location is in the coastal town of Fano, south of Pesaro, at around 100 meters above sea level, and the plantings are mature: the source site for this wine was planted in the early 1970s! It’s a straightforward, unadorned red, aged 12 months in stainless steel before bottling, and it captures the woodsy black cherry soul of Sangiovese perfectly.
In the glass, it’s a medium ruby/garnet, its initial aromas more fruit than earth driven—Marasca cherry, red and black raspberry, plum—and there’s a beautiful note of violet as well. It is medium-bodied and bright, with a texture more reminiscent of Oregon Pinot Noir than most Sangiovese; it’s loaded with freshness but doesn’t have the sharp edges that sometimes turn people off to Sangiovese. The move with this wine is to get it to about 55 degrees and serve it in Burgundy stems with steaks off the grill, tomato-sauced pastas, or, if you want to get more in the local spirit, try the Marche’s riff on lasagna, vincisgrassi. This is a ‘house red’ par excellence, so consider stocking up! Cheers!
