Thanks to its innate characteristics of natural freshness, pleasantness and authenticity, Morellino di Scansano has carved out a definite space among Tuscan appellations with its own clear identity. Stefania Vinciguerra‘s considerations.
Back from the Tuscan previews, with so many tastings done and so many chats exchanged with colleagues and producers, I want to dwell on Morellino di Scansano, the protagonist, together with Chianti, of the third stage, after Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico.
The venue chosen for the tasting was still the Fortezza da Basso, but different, smaller rooms that did not allow for the presence of the producers. Still, it was interesting to talk with the energetic president of the Protection Consortium, Bernardo Guicciardini Calamai (Massi di Mandorlaia – Count Guicciardini) and the good director Alessio Durazzi. The exchange focused on the path taken by the denomination in recent years.
A bit of recent history
Going back about 20 years, when Morellino was given DOCG status (from the 2007 vintage),the era was golden: the area planted with vines had grown by 15 percent in 8 years, production in hectoliters increased by 22 percent, bottles grew by 16 percent. In short, everything pointed to great success. The following years were less rosy, in part because of the attempt to make Morellino an “important” wine, that is, distorting its nature as a fresh, immediate-approach wine, in practice transforming much of the production into a kind of “big wine.” Of course, those years were not easy for many wine areas, with the economic crisis of 2008 making things more complicated, and Morellino also had to fight its own battle.
About ten years later, taking a look at pre-pandemic data, we see that-framed in the regional panorama-Morellino is the fifth Tuscan denomination as hectares claimed (after Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Maremma Toscana) and the third denomination as bottled (after Chianti and Chianti Classico).
The current situation
Looking at the current figures, the hectares are now close to 1,500, the average production is between 9.5 and 10 million bottles, which means a bottled volume of about 75 thousand hectoliters, which has been clearly growing in recent years.
As President Guicciardini Calamai recalled, “our beloved Morellino di Scansano enjoys excellent health.. The beginning of last year was challenging, but the gradual recovery of sales allowed the year to end with only a slight decrease compared to the previous two years, conditioned by the post-pandemic euphoria. This decrease was offset by a increase in the average selling price of Morellino di Scansano, both in the Horeca market and in the large-scale retail trade.”
A focus on wine tourism
Today Morellino di Scansano is also gaining positions thanks to a series of policies carried out by the Consortium that have diversified promotion. Initiatives that bring the public closer to the territory as well as to the wine, with a more modern approach that offers very long-lasting results.
Wine tourism, it is known, is a growing industry (net of future concerns about possible reactions to changes in traffic laws), and a great many producers, especially in Tuscany, are increasingly structuring themselves to meet this demand.
In this corner of Maremma, the Consortium has taken on a role as a collector of the various private initiatives through the portal VisitMorellino, which encompasses within it all the tourism opportunities Of the Morellino di Scansano territory. Not only the proposals of the wineries, therefore, but also the many activities available – Wine Experience, Spa & Wellness, nature trails by bike, e-bike and horseback riding or even sea-related experiences such as Surfing, Kayaking, Paddle Boarding and Snorkeling – made possible through partnerships with major players in the area.
In addition, again with a view to connecting wine production and tourism, the following was created the consortium wine shop Rosso Morellino – located on the ground floor of the Consortium’s headquarters in Scansano – which offers the opportunity to taste the labels of member wineries. Inside the wine shop., also the VisitMorellino totem.
Finally, there is no shortage of events focused on the opportunity to taste wines and meet producers, such as MareMMa (March 10) where this experience is shared with the area’s other appellations-Maremma Toscana and Montecucco; Rosso Morellino (June 13-15, where only Morellino is the protagonist) and InGravel (Sept. 13-14, a bicycle touring event featuring an ‘eat & drink’ route to get to know the area’s producers).”
Our tastings
Are all these initiatives reflected in the glass? Let us preface this by saying that there were not many wines in the tasting: twenty-two preview samples from the 2024 vintage and eleven from the 2022 reserve. The average quality is of a good level, and we did not find blatantly defective samples. Then we can say that there are “the usual ones” to rise above the average panorama.
Among the 2024s, our preferences go to the Marteto by Bruni, to Bellamarsilia of Poggio Argentiera, to the Provveditore of Provveditore and at the Maccione Camp of Rocca delle Macìe. Among the 2022 reserves we highlight Laire of Bruni and Roggiano from the Vignaioli di Scansano winery .
I would like to emphasize the great qualitative journey of the Vignaioli di Scansano winery this past decade. When a cooperative winery focuses on quality, the whole territory benefits. It is the classic virtuous circle that is good for an appellation.
In conclusion, it is good to remember that we are talking about a type of wine that is “for all pockets“, that is, wines that have an average price that stays within 15 euros on the shelf for the vintage (but there are many good ones that cost less than 10 euros) and rises to 20 for the reserve. Part of its success also lies here.
