Retail Savings $49.99 $87.00 43% 2008 GREO Colline Lucchesi Rosso TRIOproduct-timed-pdf - Colline Lucchesi DOC, Lucca, Tuscany - Food Fave Wine | Parker's 'Excellent' Vintage Why We're Drinking It Imagine tree-covered hills and red-roofed buildings spiraling from the bustling plaza out to the Renaissance-era walls—and you perched on a balcony overlooking it all, sipping a classic red that evokes its Italian upbringing. That’s the ancient city of Lucca, and this is that wine: a hard-to-find gem once enjoyed only by the local palate. Old World style rarely seen stateside, it's what defines 'food wine'; what is quintessential Tuscany. Four things to know: • After 2008’s rainy spring, a summer drought stressed vines throughout Tuscany, forcing them to work extra hard and resulted in grapes of intense concentration that earned the vintage an “Excellent” Parker rating. • The up-and-coming DOC’s vineyards are nestled in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, where the fine limestone and sandstone soils have provided excellent viticulture conditions since the days of Napoleon. • Owned by the Viani family, the GREO estate has produced wine and extra virgin olive oil in their traditional stone mill for more than a century. • This traditional blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Merlot, and Colorino comes in threes for a reason: It will be bellisimo with bruschetta, salumi, and other Continental favorites, aged well with a few more years to go. It's one of those wines that finds the bottom of the bottle, oh-so quickly. Tasting Notes VARIETAL Ruby red in color, this wine opens with aromas of intense wild fruit, Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Merlot, and woodland leaves, and soft florals. The palate moves into wild blackberry Colorino flavors alongside notes of earth and spice, smoky tannins, and a persistent, APPELLATION delicate aftertaste. This wine, dark and deep, will develop nicely for the next Colline Lucchesi DOC, Lucca, Tuscany two to three years. ALCOHOL 12.50 Our Panel recommends an hour or so in the decanter before you enjoy. SIZE 750ml BLEND Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Merlot, and Colorino The Story to Know Vineyards are on hills facing southeast. Average altitude: 200 mts (660 ft.) a.s.l. Soil composed of a particular kind of clay called "castagnina" (chestnut). Method of cultivation is "filare a capovolto" (to overturn). Grapes are hand-picked for best selection of grapes producing optimal concentrated flavors, color and alcohol. Manual harvesting in crates allows for a better selection of the grapes. Traditional winemaking and fermentation is done in wooden tubs, and then the wine is aged for one year in Tuscan oak barrels before bottling. Perfect Pairings Start with bruschetta or a charcuterie platter of salumi and hard cheeses. For the main course, choose roasted wild boar, porketta, red meat or game, pizza, or pasta with a hearty red sauce. Ratings 91 Insider Points Reviews This wine has a few years in the bottle but the structure is absolutely still there and the acidity still zips. Dark and leathery with good depth, it shows smoky tannins, red berries, and violets on the nose. The palate is dry but juicy with a creamy texture and bright acidity and a steady earth tone. The wine is still aging well and opens nicely in the glass. I recommend an hour or so in the decanter before dinner. This is a fantastic price on a wine that will go great with anything from mushroom pizza to braised beef. -DZ Inside Fact: Lucca was founded by the Etruscans and begame a Roman colony in 180 BC. Based on medieval records, the wines of Colline Lucchesi have long been favored by the lords of Lucca, Florence, and Pisa. .