Wine: A Trip To Tuscany From Central Leeds

Behind a black door on the prettiest square in Leeds lies the Corney & Barrow offices and wine-tasting room. The Northern outpost of this 240-year-old wine merchant holds regular wine-tasting sessions with fine wines from around the world.

On this occasion, Arber Shabani from the Ridolfi winery in Montalcino shared his passion for the region and some fantastic wines. Guests sampled six examples of Brunello Di Montalcino, a fine wine produced from vineyards in the region of Tuscany, around 80km from Florence.

The wine was complemented by Italian meats and cheeses, along with delicious fresh focaccia from the Fare cafe and wine shop in Otley.

Brunello di Montalcino was one of the first wines to be designated as denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) in 1980. It’s one of the most highly regarded Italian fine wines in the world.

The Ridolfi winery focuses on producing classic, traditional Brunello di Montalcino wines from its 19 hectares of estate vineyards. The winery follows organic farming practices and manual work in the vineyards to ensure the highest quality. Under the management of master winemaker Gianni Maccari, Ridolfi has achieved great success, with multiple wines scoring 95+ points and winning prestigious awards.

The tasting spanned a juicy and young Rosso Di Montalcino, aged in Slavorian and French oak for 12 months, to Selezione Donna Rebecca Brunello Di Montalcino, a fine wine aged in French Oak for 24 months.

A highlight was the Riserva Mercatale Brunello Di Montalcino, which is aged in a single barrel for 48 months. Production of the Riserva is limited because it is only made of the finest grapes from the best vintages.

The wine is superbly structured and offers a heady aroma of dark fruit and spice. It offers a depth of flavour with spices, liquorice, dark berries and cherries. A long finish has soft tannins and a balanced acidity.

The Ridolfi range starts at £30.30 a bottle and is available at https://www.corneyandbarrow.com/

Our wine enthusiast Nathan lives in Leeds and runs the PR and marketing company Campfire PR.
https://campfirepr.com/