Wine Advisor
San Giusto a Rentennano, Percarlo Sangiovese Toscana 2006
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
I have always adored San Giusto a Rentennano's 2006 Percarlo, a wine I bought heavily as 2006 is my son's birth year. Is the 2006 ready? Of course not, but after a gentle decant it is gorgeous with this menu. It is an especially good match for the pigeon and quadrotto. The bright Sangiovese acidity in particular seems to literally carry the flavors across the palate, giving them lift and an additional sense of energy.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Percarlo is one of the all-time legendary wines from San Giusto. Everything is in the right place. Firm yet wonderfully refined tannins support an intense core of fruit. The 2006 possesses dazzling richness and intensity, all supported by its considerable structural heft. Layers of black cherries, licorice and spices wrap around the muscular, potent finish. This is an absolutely breathtaking showing from the 2006, in my view the greatest Percarlo and easily one of the finest wines of this historic Tuscan harvest.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The estate's flagship 2006 Percarlo (Sangiovese) is big, dark and powerful. Still very much tightly wound, the wine gradually opens up, revealing layers of ripe dark fruit, minerals, menthol and spices, all of which are supported by firm, yet elegant tannins. There is breathtaking clarity, finesse and freshness in the glass. The oak is beautifully integrated, though, and there is little doubt this will turn into a magical bottle somewhere down the line. It looks like the estate has made a wise choice in giving Percarlo an extra year in bottle prior to release as the 2006 is imposing and will require quite a bit of time before it enters its prime window of drinkability. While that time does not appear to be on the horizon, readers who can find the 2006 Percarlo will not want to hesitate, as it is magical.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The estate’s flagship 2006 Percarlo (Sangiovese) is big, dark and powerful. Still very much tightly wound, the wine gradually opens up, revealing layers of ripe dark fruit, minerals, menthol and spices, all of which are supported by firm, yet elegant tannins. There is breathtaking clarity, finesse and freshness in the glass. The oak is beautifully integrated, though, and there is little doubt this will turn into a magical bottle somewhere down the line. It looks like the estate has made a wise choice in giving Percarlo an extra year in bottle prior to release as the 2006 is imposing and will require quite a bit of time before it enters its prime window of drinkability. While that time does not appear to be on the horizon, readers who can find the 2006 Percarlo will not want to hesitate, as it is magical. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2031. San Giusto is one of the pearls of Italy. This small, family-run property is a great source for hand-made, artisan wines that reflect the best of the Tuscan vigneron spirit. Simply put, I was blown away by most of these new releases. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The estate’s flagship 2006 Percarlo (Sangiovese) is big, dark and powerful. Still very much tightly wound, the wine gradually opens up, revealing layers of ripe dark fruit, minerals, menthol and spices, all of which are supported by firm, yet elegant tannins. There is breathtaking clarity, finesse and freshness in the glass. The oak is beautifully integrated, though, and there is little doubt this will turn into a magical bottle somewhere down the line. It looks like the estate has made a wise choice in giving Percarlo an extra year in bottle prior to release as the 2006 is imposing and will require quite a bit of time before it enters its prime window of drinkability. While that time does not appear to be on the horizon, readers who can find the 2006 Percarlo will not want to hesitate, as it is magical. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2031. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Percarlo is one of the all-time legendary wines from San Giusto. Everything is in the right place. Firm yet wonderfully refined tannins support an intense core of fruit. The 2006 possesses dazzling richness and intensity, all supported by its considerable structural heft. Layers of black cherries, licorice and spices wrap around the muscular, potent finish. This is an absolutely breathtaking showing from the 2006, in my view the greatest Percarlo and easily one of the finest wines of this historic Tuscan harvest. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031. This complete vertical of Percarlo left me speechless. Brothers Luca and Francesco Martini di Cigala showed me every vintage of Percarlo, back to the inaugural 1983, a wine that has now run its full course. I was deeply struck by the consistency of the wines from year to year, and even more importantly, by the great showing of a number of wines from long forgotten vintages, proving yet again the importance of choosing producer over vintage. Percarlo started off as a selection of the estate’s best vineyards. In 2001 the Cigalas sharpened their approach by focusing on what is now literally a bunch by bunch selection across all of the fruit that comes into the winery, an approach they favor because of the huge inconsistency Sangiovese can often show from vine to vine, and even within the same cluster. I also tasted a few vintages of the Chianti Classico Le Baroncole, the top Sangiovese bottling made in vintages not deemed suitable for Percarlo. Readers who want to learn more about San Giusto and Percarlo may want to take a look at my recent video interview with proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala. San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo Key Points: 1. 100% Sangiovese from the estate’s best vineyards in Gaiole 2. A powerful, intense expression of Sangiovese 3. Remarkably consistent, even in lesser years 4. Aging potential: 20+ years
About the Producer
San Giusto a Rentennano is a family-run winery located in the Tuscany wine region of Italy, now owned by the Martini di Cigala family. Family) is responsible for management. The name "San Giusto" comes from the Etruscan people in Italy. During the Middle Ages, Chateau San Giusto was a convent where nuns lived, so it was called "San Giusto alle Monache". In 1204, the Florentines fortified the winery, making it the border between Florence and Siena. Today, the grounds of the winery still stand part of the remaining city walls, while the other part has sunk to become a wine cellar for aging. In 1914, the Martini de Chigala family became the current owners of the winery through a marriage to the previous owner. Descendants of the family still manage San Giusto Winery today. In 1999, the winery hired Attilio Pagli as winemaking consultant. The San Giusto winery covers an area of 160 hectares and is 270 meters above sea level. From the winery, you can see the Arbia river extending to the farthest southern tip of the Chianti Classico region. Among them, the vineyard area is 31 hectares. In addition, the estate of the winery is also planted with olive trees, woods and pastures. The soil of the vineyard is varied, the main components are sand, clay, limestone, volcanic ash and terracotta, the soil is alkaline and rich in calcium ions. At the same time, the temperature difference between day and night in the vineyard is significant, and the temperature is higher during the grape harvesting season. These conditions are conducive to the production of ripe, high-quality grapes with intense flavours. The winery adopts an organic planting model to strictly manage the vineyard, and most of the vineyard work is manually operated. After the grapes are ripe, the winery conducts green hand harvesting of the grapes. Since its establishment, San Giusto Winery has been committed to producing high-quality wines with Tuscan terroir characteristics. The wines that have been officially released include Percarlo Sangiovese, La Ricolma Merlot and Le Baroncole, etc., which are well received by consumers. favorite.
