Mastrojanni San Pio IGT 2006Product #23229
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Color/Type Red Country/State Italy Email Wines Q2 2010 (April -june) Price Under $10 Producer Mastrojanni Region Tuscany: Brunello Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage 2006 -
It’s rarely a good thing when a big, international, food company buys a winery, but Italian espresso giant Illy’s purchase of Mastrojanni has been nothing but good. Francesco Illy has taken the lead in pushing Mastrojanni - always an estate with fine potential - into the very top echelon of Montalcino wine producers.
While Brunello is the estate’s flagship wine, at a recent tasting with Francesco it was the 2006 San Pio that really impressed me. This is a blend of 20% Sangiovese Grosso - the Brunello grape - and 80% low-yielding Cabernet Sauvignon. Although it spends 18 months in new and used oak barrels, it’s not at all woody. Instead, the wine opens with smoky aromas of black berry fruit and roasted meat with just a touch of fresh herb. In the mouth the fruit trends to red currant and sweet cherry/kirsch flavors with more notes of herb, meat, and smoke. The finish is long and lightly tannic with cherries and tobacco lingering at the end. Everything you could want in a $50 super-tuscan - but for a lot less money!
