Along the coast of Tuscany is a historic wine estate, Castello del Terriccio! It’s one of the largest agricultural properties in Tuscany and I had the pleasure of having lunch with the Estate Manager and Veteran Sommelier Jeff Porter.

This winery is in the heart of Bolgheri and between the combination of seaside terroir, breezy ocean air, and warm sunlight, makes this area a great grape growing region.” Castello del Terriccio’s thousand-year-old history dates back to the time of the Etruscans, who prized this picturesque stretch of Tuscan coast as an ideal location for viticulture—and continued through the 1980s, when the estate became a leader in the “Super Tuscan”
movement, and now into the present day where Castello del Terriccio remains a must-know
name in Tuscan wine.” – Terricco.it

This winery is currently in the hands of the winery family’s nephew Vittorio Piozzo di
Rosignano Rossi di Medelana. He left the world of finance and relocated to paradise where he spent most of his life. Also in the winery is an icon of Italian viticulture: Carlo Ferrini, who has been a crucial element of the Terriccio team as the estate’s winemaker since the very beginning!

These wines are some of the most admired and age-worthy Super Tuscan’s and thanks to careful and quality winemaking and viticulture it’s why we know and love them today. We enjoyed a selection of the wines with an amazing lunch at Ci Siamo in Hudson Yards, NYC. This exquisite Italian restaurant served incredible handmade pasta’s, roasted chicken, and superb Italian charcuterie to pair alongside these incredible wines. These wines are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot driven giving them that “Bordeaux Blend” quality but with that true Italian character.

This winery is meticulous when it comes to choosing grape varieties. They are dedicated to international strains as well as Sangiovese and Chardonnay. Now they have other varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and more to make some incredible wines which we love today. The lineup of wines we tasted included:

Con Vento 2020– Made of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc this crisp Italian white is bright and refreshing and perfect with a light meal. It has nice minerality from the stone and fossils in the soils and paired nicely with the handmade pasta’s we enjoyed at Ci Siamo. This wine is fruit forward, medium bodied, and absolutely delicious to drink year round.

Tassinaia 2017- It is named after the farmhouse on one of the hills called “Le Tassinaie”, which means “the place of the stones A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, that spends about 16 months in French oak before being blended and bottled to rest for another 12 months. This is an intense wine and is named after the farmhouse on one of the hills called “Le Tassinaie”, which means “the place of the stones! It’s luxurious and full of red fruit, spice, and has a beautiful finish. It paired so perfectly with the Italian meats and pasta, but can absolutely pair great with duck, and red meats!

Castello del Terriccio 2016– A blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot from one of the most standard vintages of the decade. 2016 was a great vintage across the board and I have been so impressed with many 2016’s from Italy. This wine is hand harvested and aged in French oak for about 22 months, followed by one more month in bottle. This wine has great structure and balance with bright purple fruit and red fruit aromas followed by smooth tannins. The structure is great, making it a wine ideal for aging as well. It’s a great wine for meats, stewed tomato dishes, and plenty of pastas!

Lupicaia 2016- Made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, and since the vintage was great, so was this wine. Aged in French Oak for 22 months, followed by another month in bottle this wine shows a lot of beautiful dark fruit and some lingering spice notes. I love the tannins and balance of this wine, it was simply stunning. Ci Siamo also served up some tuna and roasted chicken legs and those wen’t beautifully with this wine, but if I were at home I would absolutely pair this wine with some ricotta gnocchi and pancetta, Italian sausage and potatoes, or something with stewed tomatoes.

Lupicaia 2011- Like above, this Cab, Petit Verdot blend with a bit of age was exquisite! So smooth, and a lot of the fruit forward notes became a bit cooked and earthier. It’s beautiful to see a wine transition over time and age so gracefully. The tannins smoothed out even more compared to the 2016 and the balance was just incredible. This wine at 2011 was still playful and a but youthful, and I was excited to see how this would still age for a few more years. Pairing wise however, this wine went beautifully with the truffle pasta!

Lupicaia 2006-  Absolutely incredible made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. I love the integration of merlot, but then again I am a merlot super fan! This wine is amazing, and  intensely smooth. The 06′ is a winner in my book! I absolutely loved this with the amazing Chocolate Hazelnut Torte they served at Ci Siamo! The fruit overtime became more cooked plum and date like, with some lingering spice that was mellow and alluring. I absolutely loved to see this wine age so well, and it did. The 06′ has incredible balance and an elegance that makes it a match with cheese courses, chocolate desserts, and more!

If you’re seeking some new Tuscan’s to add to your collection that you can drink now as well as age I would highly recommend Castello del Terriccio. The wines are just incredible and you can purchase a few, see how they age for yourself; you won’t be disappointed!

Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!