The Marche (Le Marche) is one of Italy’s last untouched wine regions. Sandwiched between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, Le Marche was long kept from realizing its full potential as a wine-growing area by poverty and geography – even with the relative prosperity of recent decades and the improvements in communication lines, Le Marche is still off the beaten track. Tuscany and Umbria lie just to the west, but the charms of rural Marche have remained largely undiscovered.
Le Marche is a beautiful wine region, with miles of untamed coastline, picturesque fishing villages, medieval hamlets, rustic mountain villages and wild expanses of nature. Like its more famous neighbours Tuscany and Umbria, Le Marche boasts Mediterranean flora like Cyprus trees, olive trees and vines spread across a hilly landscape, and dotted with medieval villages. The calcerous soils here, like those to the west, have proven excellent for varieties like Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Montepulciano. Even with enviable growing conditions, the region has just 20,000 hectares of vineyards spread throughout 11 DOCs.
Conti Degli Azzoni is a winery that has produced wine for many generations. It is located in the heart of the Marche region, amidst the rolling hillside in the province of Macerata. It spreads over 850 hectares, 130 of which are vineyards. The vinification process takes place in its own winery in Montefano.
On offer this week is the 2015 Azzoni Rosato. You will not find this wine listed on the winery website (nor in the LCBO); the reason being that the wine has been made exclusively for The Small Winemakers Collection. At VinItaly last year, my associates met with the consulting oenologist for Azzoni and described the style of wine we were interested in: deep in colour, rich in flavour, generously fruity with balanced acidity and a long dry finish. The winemaking team has delivered – far exceeding our expectations! The fantastic growing season in 2015 also contributed to the production of a full, ripe, rich wine.
The 2015 Azzoni Rosato is available for immediate delivery. To order, please e-mail or telephone 416-463-4677. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this wine last night with cold roast chicken and potato salad. This will be the perfect wine for the hot and steamy weather forecast for the rest of the summer. Get quaffing!
| 2015 Azzoni Rosato $16.00 btl / $192.00 cs (case of 12 x 750ml)  This Tuscan blend of Sangiovese with Ciliegiolo, Lacyrma and a dash of Montepulciano is a brilliant fuscia colour. The nose is very expressive with macerated bing cherries, crushed strawberries, dried rosemary and a hint of roses. The palate is quite fruity and full with a sense of sweet fruit from the nose. The finish is clean, dry and lingering.Drink: Now – 2018 Food Pairing: Try with summer salads; cold chicken; white fish |