2006 Percarlo Super Tuscans/IGT

2006 Percarlo

99 AG

Featured Review

I have always adored San Giusto a Rentennano's 2006 Percarlo, a wine I bought heavily as 2006 is my son's birth year. Is the 2006 ready? Of course not, but after a gentle decant it is gorgeous with this menu. It is an especially good match for the pigeon and quadrotto. The bright Sangiovese acidity in particular seems to literally carry the flavors across the palate, giving them lift and an additional sense of energy. Antonio Galloni

Vinous (Galloni) | 99 AG

The 2006 Percarlo is one of the all-time legendary wines from San Giusto. Everything is in the right place. Firm yet wonderfully refined tannins support an intense core of fruit. The 2006 possesses dazzling richness and intensity, all supported by its considerable structural heft. Layers of black cherries, licorice and spices wrap around the muscular, potent finish. This is an absolutely breathtaking showing from the 2006, in my view the greatest Percarlo and easily one of the finest wines of this historic Tuscan harvest. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.

This complete vertical of Percarlo left me speechless. Brothers Luca and Francesco Martini di Cigala showed me every vintage of Percarlo, back to the inaugural 1983, a wine that has now run its full course. I was deeply struck by the consistency of the wines from year to year, and even more importantly, by the great showing of a number of wines from long forgotten vintages, proving yet again the importance of choosing producer over vintage. Percarlo started off as a selection of the estate’s best vineyards. In 2001 the Cigalas sharpened their approach by focusing on what is now literally a bunch by bunch selection across all of the fruit that comes into the winery, an approach they favor because of the huge inconsistency Sangiovese can often show from vine to vine, and even within the same cluster. I also tasted a few vintages of the Chianti Classico Le Baroncole, the top Sangiovese bottling made in vintages not deemed suitable for Percarlo. Readers who want to learn more about San Giusto and Percarlo may want to take a look at my recent video interview with proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala.

San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo Key Points:

1. 100% Sangiovese from the estate’s best vineyards in Gaiole

2. A powerful, intense expression of Sangiovese

3. Remarkably consistent, even in lesser years

4. Aging potential: 20+ years

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RP

Offers a core of pure, ripe cherry and strawberry flavors, accented by tobacco, mineral, sandalwood and spice notes. Racy, young and well-structured, with a terrific aftertaste. A superb Sangiovese from an excellent vintage.—Non-blind Percarlo vertical (August 2018). Best from 2021 through 2045.

Wine Spectator | 97 WS

This is so perfumed and floral with rose petal and lilac as well as dark fruits. Full body, linear and powerful. Just starting to soften and show its sexy side. Drink and enjoy.

James Suckling | 95 JS

Type of Wine	Super Tuscans/IGT
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Tuscany : Italian culture worships the concept of a shared meal, and their wines scream for a chance to be uncorked with your friends and family. The region's Mediterranean climate and hilly landscape combine to create a beautiful viticultural environment, where every chosen grape is brought to its full potential and transmuted into drinks worthy of gods. The vineyards are planted along the higher reaches of the hill slopes, creating a gorgeous view of the Italian landscape. Once your lips kiss the wine, you're sent spiraling down a veritable whirlpool of pure flavor, touching upon notes of sensuous cherry, nuts, floral hints and undertones of honey and minerals. The wines can be as sweet as a fresh summer romance, and carry an air of dignity and elegance about them that can stimulate your intellect for months as you contemplate the seemingly infinite intricacies and details in the texture. Tuscany is an important part of Italian viticulture, and sampling their wines is the closest you can get to visiting this heavenly region and experiencing the culture.

Producer	Percarlo

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2006 Percarlo

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