Fattoria San Pancrazio Tommaso Masti Toscana Merlot 2008: Dark color; raspberry, cherry nose; raspberry, cherry, ripe plum, black olive, mocha, oak on the palate;
very dry, dusty, dense tannin; good acidity; very round and full in the mouth; evolves nicely with air. Located 11 miles south of Florence, Fattoria (Farm) San Pancrazio’s wine history dates back to 1388, but the current operation took off in 2000 when Valentina Masti Priami and her husband Simone Priami moved into the ancient villa and began serious restoration of the villa, winery, and vineyards. Depending on who you ask, this effort qualifies as a “super Tuscan,” a term that is evolving even to the point of losing meaning. Most would agree a blend of cabernet sauvignon and some other grape—usually sangiovese—makes a super Tuscan. Others claim any Tuscan wine that does not subscribe to the strict Denomiazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) or even more strict Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) quality rules for Chianti Classico qualifies as super Tuscan. There is no question, given its location, that Fattoria San Pancrazio is Tuscan, also no question this does not conform to DOC/DOCG rules—it is a merlot. Super Tuscan can be thought of as “rebel wine” since the core of the 1980s super Tuscan revolution was to break away from antiquated and overly strict Italian rules in order to make wines that could compete on the world stage. Today, the complaint is super Tuscan has lost meaning, although many would agree the term applies to some really outstanding wines made in Tuscany. This is a nice effort at remarkably low price no matter what you want to call it. $18 