Welcoming Zachy's to DC with an Epic Tuscany Tasting

Zachy’s (the Scarsdale, New York-based fine wine purveyor and auction house) has opened up shop in Washington, DC, and I am so stoked.

The new location is a massive facility located on V Street NE, and it will offer wine storage service in a huge, cold warehouse. You’ll be able to purchase wine at the facility, and through email offers. There’s a great tasting room that will be used for all sorts of trade tastings, wine classes, and auction parties.

A good buddy of mine, Tim O’Rourke, is working on this project, and there really is no better person for the job. All the details and events are still very much coming together, but the future looks bright for this venture. And it’s a huge win for DC, Maryland, Virginia-area wine-lovers such as myself.

I recently stopped by to check out the facility and taste through a serious lineup of Tuscan wines. Even though they had been open for only two days, things were pristine. The service was on point and, most importantly, the wines were stunning.

Here are my notes on some killer Tuscan wines.

2016 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Maremma Toscana Poggio Argentato - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana
$25
Floral, peach nose. Tangy and spicy with flowers and peaches and spicy floral tones. Fun, dry, delicious. A Gewurz-based blend. (88 points)

2016 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Maremma Toscana RosaMati - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana
$23
Super floral aromatics. Brisk, spicy, tart, watermelon plumpness as well, slightly earthy. An all Syrah rose. (87 points)

2012 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Rosato Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$80
Interesting copper orange color. Red apples, spiced herbal tea nose. Interesting stuff, tangy, chalky, some honeyed and slight nut characteristics but still vibrant fruit. Not often do I find an aged rose I really like to drink, but this is one. The “current” release and it rocks. (90 points)

2015 Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG$20
Red fruits and spice on the nose. Structured quite well with smooth, dry tannins and fresh acid. Juicy and tangy red fruit with tar, anise, pepper notes. Really solid for the price, shows what quality 2015 offers even in the entry-level. (89 points)

2013 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
$60
Lots of cigar smoked and leather on the nose with earthy black cherries. Rich tannins, dry but fresh acidity, which I love, balanced nicely with plum and black cherries, notes of spiced tea and pepper. Lovely. (91 points)

2013 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolò - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$90
Lots of roses, eucalyptus, spiced tea, rich earth, tart black cherries and plums. Rich texture but velvety, bright acidity frames it so well, lots of delicious black cherry fruit, laced with herbs and spices. Young but very, very good. (92 points)

2015 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$35
Plums, leather, tobacco, herbs on the nose. Accessible on the palate but shows some good structured tannins, bright acidity, plums and cherries and tobacco and spices, all wrapped up quite nicely. (89 points)

2004 Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
$160
Gorgeous aromatics, cedar, silky red and black fruit, roses, violets. Still so young with firm tannins but some moderating acidity. Black cherries and tart blueberries mix well with tar, charcoal and cigar smoke. Lovely stuff with many more years ahead. (93 points) 

2010 E. Fuligni (Cottimelli) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
$190
Amazing nose of tangy red fruits, rose petals, rhubarb, pepper, soy. Velvety but structured, zesty but rich, waves of red and hints of black fruit along with cigar shop, incense sticks, roses, tilled soil. The mouthfeel on this is just so amazing, despite the complexity of flavors and total deliciousness, the elegance and balance of this wine makes it next level excellent. (95 points)

2015 Monastero Campanaio - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$55
Jammier approach with plums and raspberry jam, cocoa and violets. Silky, velvety, but some surprisingly fresh acidity. Sweet red fruits and violets and coffee. Fun, approachable stuff. 50/50 Cab/Merlot. (89 points)

2015 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$55
Bright but some saucy fruit on the nose, too, with plums and cola. Velvety, violets, cedar, plump and a bit chewy but balanced with freshness. Cabernet and Merlot. (88 points)

2015 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$35
Plummy, rich, baked black fruit on the nose. Really saucy on the palate with silky tannins, medium-low acidity, chunky black fruits, some violets, cola and cedar. Well-made, tastes so polished, I could see this being a big hit. (88 points)

2014 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia
$230
Wow, this is drinking really well. Considering the vintage, I wasn’t expecting anything classic, but this is a fresher, more vibrant, early-drinking version, but still of very high quality. Bright floral and red berry tones on the nose. Silky, tangy, vibrant palate with bright red currants and cherries, lots of pepper and spices and sage. Not lean, but quite elegant, and it goes down easily. (93 points)

2013 Marchesi Mazzei “Philip” - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$45
Aromas of tangy red berries. Velvety, rich but vibrant palate with sweet floral, coffee, earth and vanilla notes to accent the black cherry and plum skins. (90 points)

2013 Marchesi Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$140
Lifted aromatics of bright red fruits and roses, very bright. High-toned, tangy, zesty even, with brisk red fruits but so delicious, laced with dusty earth, rhubarb, coffee. So good now, so good on the table, but this will also age nicely for at least a decade. Merlot and Sangiovese. (91 points) 

2013 Fattoria Le Pupille (Elisabetta Geppetti) Maremma Toscana Saffredi - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana
$110
Christ, this wine blew me away! I had never heard of this producer before, but I’m listening now. Gorgeous waves of red fruits on the nose along with tobacco, leather, incense. Structured so well but vibrant and refreshing, the mouthfeel is so pure and focused. Cherries and velvety plums with lots of leather, sage, tobacco, mint, rhubarb – so much to unpack for many years in the cellar. (96 points)

In a lineup of gems, the Geppetti Safredi was incredible.

2013 Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$300
A bit dense but a lot to unpack aromatically: plum cake, violets, black cherry, leather, coffee, dark chocolate shavings. Rich, saucy and velvety at the same time but not too heavy, it shows freshness, too. Sweet plums and cherries laced with violets, cocoa, loamy earth, cedar, warm clay – wow. Delicious now but will do wonders over the next 10-15. (94 points)

2015 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
$105
Lots of aromatics: roses, violets, plums, rich black cherries, smoke. Chewy and bold but balanced, shows plums and black currants with cola, coffee, cocoa, anise, cedar – rich in flavor but nuanced and suave as well. Obviously a long time ahead. (93 points)