Maremma & Morellino di Scansano

Morellino di Scansano: soft, cherry-scented coastal Sangiovese for everyday Tuscan food.

Sangiovese - called Morellino here - from the hills around Scansano, often with a little Alicante, Ciliegiolo or Syrah. Expect red cherry, dried herbs and earthy spice with bright acidity and softer tannin than Chianti; the standard bottling is made for drinking young.

Sangiovese - called Morellino here - from the hills around Scansano, often with a little Alicante, Ciliegiolo or Syrah. Expect red cherry, dried herbs and earthy spice with bright acidity and softer tannin than Chianti; the standard bottling is made for drinking young.

Maremma Vermentino: citrus, herbs and a salty finish - the beach-lunch white.

Vermentino grows across Grosseto province and is the coast's main white. Typically unoaked, it brings lemon, white flowers and an iodine or herbal edge, light to medium in body and best drunk within two or three years.

Vermentino grows across Grosseto province and is the coast's main white. Typically unoaked, it brings lemon, white flowers and an iodine or herbal edge, light to medium in body and best drunk within two or three years.

Acquacotta (Maremma bread-and-vegetable soup) with a young Morellino.

Acquacotta is the Maremma's classic poor-man's soup, listed among the area's typical dishes. A young Morellino's acidity and light tannin cope with its tomato and vegetable flavours.

Acquacotta is the Maremma's classic poor-man's soup, listed among the area's typical dishes. A young Morellino's acidity and light tannin cope with its tomato and vegetable flavours.

Celebration: Terenzi Madrechiesa, Le Pupille Saffredi or Belguardo Bronzone.

The Maremma's top bottles. Madrechiesa is the single-vineyard Morellino, Saffredi the Cabernet-Merlot-Alicante icon and Bronzone an old-vine Riserva.

The Maremma's top bottles. Madrechiesa is the single-vineyard Morellino, Saffredi the Cabernet-Merlot-Alicante icon and Bronzone an old-vine Riserva.

Ciliegiolo: bright cherry fruit, gentle tannin - a local red on the rise.

A local red that grows well in the Maremma. Used for years to soften blends, it now makes fresh, juicy reds on its own.

A local red that grows well in the Maremma. Used for years to soften blends, it now makes fresh, juicy reds on its own.

Local find: a Ciliegiolo from Antonio Camillo.

Juicy local red from a small grower who treats the grape seriously.

Juicy local red from a small grower who treats the grape seriously.

Sea breezes and a warm sun ripen Sangiovese early and gently.

The hills sit a short way inland from the Tyrrhenian coast. Summers are hot and dry, breezes cool the vines and nights are cooler, which keeps acidity in the grapes while giving riper, softer wines than inland Tuscany.

The hills sit a short way inland from the Tyrrhenian coast. Summers are hot and dry, breezes cool the vines and nights are cooler, which keeps acidity in the grapes while giving riper, softer wines than inland Tuscany.

Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario: the coast's herbal, salty and slightly bitter white.

Ansonica is the same grape as Sicily's Inzolia. On the Argentario peninsula and Giglio it makes dry, unoaked whites with citrus, yellow apple, wild herbs and a saline finish, with a hint of almond bitterness.

Ansonica is the same grape as Sicily's Inzolia. On the Argentario peninsula and Giglio it makes dry, unoaked whites with citrus, yellow apple, wild herbs and a saline finish, with a hint of almond bitterness.

Roccapesta: Ribeo is the benchmark under-15-euro Morellino.

A Scansano estate whose Ribeo comes from older vineyards, aged in large wood with extended bottle time, and drinks refined and long for its price.

A Scansano estate whose Ribeo comes from older vineyards, aged in large wood with extended bottle time, and drinks refined and long for its price.

Morellino Riserva: the same grape with more oak and age, for roasts and game.

The step-up wine from Morellino's best estates: darker fruit, leather, firmer tannin and a longer finish, usually aged in oak and held back before release. It drinks best with wild boar, roasts and aged pecorino.

The step-up wine from Morellino's best estates: darker fruit, leather, firmer tannin and a longer finish, usually aged in oak and held back before release. It drinks best with wild boar, roasts and aged pecorino.

Riservas are aged in large casks or barriques - the house style shows.

Terenzi uses large casks to keep tannin integrated; Le Pupille's Poggio Valente sees barriques, with a share of new oak. Ask which when tasting.

Terenzi uses large casks to keep tannin integrated; Le Pupille's Poggio Valente sees barriques, with a share of new oak. Ask which when tasting.

Tenuta Belguardo (Mazzei): Bronzone is old-vine Morellino Riserva from clay and limestone.

Belguardo is the Maremma estate of the Mazzei family. Bronzone is pure Sangiovese from old south-facing vines, aged in French oak - a powerful yet fine-grained Riserva.

Belguardo is the Maremma estate of the Mazzei family. Bronzone is pure Sangiovese from old south-facing vines, aged in French oak - a powerful yet fine-grained Riserva.

Ciliegiolo: the Maremma's cherry-scented local red, now bottled on its own.

Long a blending grape, Ciliegiolo is now made as a juicy, fresh red by a few growers near Capalbio. Expect cherry, herbs and low tannin, often from concrete or large old casks.

Long a blending grape, Ciliegiolo is now made as a juicy, fresh red by a few growers near Capalbio. Expect cherry, herbs and low tannin, often from concrete or large old casks.

Organic farming is established on the coast, led by La Parrina.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina is an organic mixed farm where wine is only one of its products. Smaller growers are moving the same way.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina is an organic mixed farm where wine is only one of its products. Smaller growers are moving the same way.

Terenzi: family estate near Scansano; Madrechiesa is the single-vineyard Riserva.

Three siblings founded Terenzi in 2001. The straight Morellino is a fair-priced entry; Purosangue is a blend of the best vineyards; Madrechiesa is the single-vineyard flagship.

Terenzi was founded in 2001 by three siblings and is now one of the Maremma's most recognised family estates, with a large vineyard holding on a farm that also grows olives. Almost everything is made from estate fruit in a modern cellar, with Giuseppe Caviola as winemaker. Start with the regular Morellino di Scansano, which is soft and blackberry-and-currant fruited, and a fair-priced entry to the house. Purosangue Riserva blends the best Sangiovese from several estate vineyards and is aged in a mix of tonneaux and large casks, giving a lighter, harmonious style. Madrechiesa Riserva comes from a single vineyard and ages in large casks, which keeps the tannin integrated; it is full-bodied and spicy with a long finish. The estate also makes a Vermentino, Balbino. Buy Madrechiesa for a special dinner, the plain Morellino for the table.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina: organic coastal estate near Albinia, home of the Parrina DOC.

A large organic farm with vineyards, olives and an agriturismo. Its Ansonica is salty, flinty and herbal; Vermentino and a Parrina white and red round out the range.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina sits behind the Orbetello lagoon near Albinia, between the sea and an extinct volcano, and has held its own small DOC, Parrina, for decades, which is rare among Tuscan farms. It is a genuinely organic mixed farm, with vineyards beside olives, fruit and vegetables, and it runs a restaurant and agriturismo in a farmhouse dating from 1830. The estate calls Ansonica the king of its local grapes. The Costa dell'Argentario Ansonica is the wine to try: flint, iodine and wild herbs, with a relaxed palate and a pronounced saline note, The vines are spur-pruned with few buds to concentrate flavour. The estate grows white grapes including Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano and Chardonnay, and reds such as Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet. Buy the Ansonica to see how the coast tastes.

Fattoria Le Pupille: Elisabetta Geppetti's estate; Saffredi is the Maremma icon.

Founded in 1985, Le Pupille helped put Morellino on the map. Saffredi is its Cabernet-Merlot-Alicante flagship; Poggio Valente is the single-vineyard Sangiovese.

Fattoria Le Pupille was founded in 1985 by Elisabetta Geppetti, who still runs and makes the wines, and she was the first president of the Morellino consortium, so the estate's story is the appellation's story. The estate has two sides. The classic one is Sangiovese: a regular Morellino, black-cherry and earthy, and Poggio Valente, a single-vineyard wine from a site near Pereta on sandy, stony ground, aged partly in new barriques and needing cellar time. The other is Saffredi, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante that has become one of the Maremma's collector reds and is sold under a broad Tuscan label rather than as Morellino. The estate also makes a Syrah that has scored very highly, and a sweet wine, SolAlto. Drink the Morellino now; keep Poggio Valente or Saffredi for a decade.

Poggio Argentiera: Gianpaolo Paglia's small coastal estate, a single-grape specialist.

Known for single-variety wines that show each grape: Bellamarsilia (Morellino), Capatosta (Sangiovese with Alicante) and Poggioraso, a Cabernet Franc.

Poggio Argentiera was founded by Gianpaolo Paglia and his wife Justine and works vineyards in two distinct parts of the coastal Maremma. The winemaker, Giovanni Frascolla, describes a style built on single-grape wines that show each variety and its site, a principle he credits to his grandfather. The estate grows Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Vermentino, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Bellamarsilia is a Morellino di Scansano blending Sangiovese with Ciliegiolo and Alicante, aimed at fruit and freshness. Capatosta is the more serious Sangiovese-and-Alicante wine, firm enough to need a year or two to soften. Poggioraso is a pure Cabernet Franc, which the winemaker sees as a possible ambassador for Tuscany abroad. Most wines are sold under the broader Tuscan regional label rather than the Morellino name, so look for the producer on the shelf. Start with Bellamarsilia, then try Capatosta.

The Maremma Super Tuscan: Cabernet, Merlot and Alicante outside the Morellino rules.

A handful of estates blend Cabernet, Merlot and Alicante for dense, age-worthy reds that sell under a broad Tuscan label rather than as Morellino.

The Maremma has its own version of the Super Tuscan story. Estates that wanted to make Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah-led wines, or to blend them with Sangiovese and Alicante without the limits of the Morellino rules, bottle them under the broad Maremma Toscana DOC or the Toscana IGT. Fattoria Le Pupille's Saffredi, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante, is the best-known example and its most acclaimed wine. Poggio Argentiera sells several single-variety and blended reds, including a Cabernet Franc, mostly under the regional label. The wines are riper, denser and oakier than Morellino, but the coast keeps them fresher than a hot inland site would. Compared with Bolgheri, they are far less famous and cost much less, which is exactly why they are interesting to bring home. Judge them by producer, not by label.

Antonio Camillo: former estate hand now championing serious Ciliegiolo near Capalbio.

After 25 years at established Maremma estates, Camillo started his own project in 2006. His Ciliegiolo and Vallerana Alta (60-year-old vines) show the grape on its own.

Antonio Camillo spent more than 25 years working at established Maremma estates before starting his own label in 2006 with a small plot of 40-year-old vines near Capalbio. The estate has grown to a family-sized holding and makes roughly 95,000 bottles a year. His aim is to make Ciliegiolo a serious red that stands on its own rather than a blending grape. He farms with minimal intervention, limiting mechanical work and treating vines only with copper and sulfur, and avoids stainless steel: most wines age in concrete, with large wooden botti for the longer-aged bottles. The flagship Ciliegiolo is the one to try, with Vallerana Alta, a single-vineyard pure Ciliegiolo from 60-year-old vines aged in botti, as the step up. He also makes a Morellino di Scansano from pure Sangiovese rested in cement, a Vermentino, a Procanico white and the everyday Tutti i Giorni wines. This is the best example of the Maremma's small, local-grape scene.

Concrete, large botti and single-grape bottlings: the new-wave Maremma toolkit.

A few growers use concrete and big old casks instead of steel and small oak, and bottle one variety at a time so the grape and site speak.

The newest wave of Maremma winemaking is defined by what it leaves out. Antonio Camillo ages most wines in concrete, uses large wooden botti only for the longer-aged bottlings and avoids stainless steel altogether. He treats vines only with copper and sulfur and limits machinery, aiming for wines that show the grape's character without alteration. Poggio Argentiera takes a related line in its own way: single-variety wines, strict vineyard selection and cellar work that respects the fruit. These producers matter because they are making Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese and Alicante taste like themselves instead of like the oak. For the drinker the signs are lower tannin, brighter fruit and an earthy, savoury finish. If you like Morellino but find the oaked Riservas heavy, this is the style to explore, and it is cheaper than the flagship wines.

Sea breezes and a warm sun ripen Sangiovese early and gently.

The hills sit a short way inland from the Tyrrhenian coast. Summers are hot and dry, breezes cool the vines and nights are cooler, which keeps acidity in the grapes while giving riper, softer wines than inland Tuscany.

The hills sit a short way inland from the Tyrrhenian coast. Summers are hot and dry, breezes cool the vines and nights are cooler, which keeps acidity in the grapes while giving riper, softer wines than inland Tuscany.

In the glass: Riper cherry fruit, softer tannin and earlier drinking than Chianti

Clay, limestone and sandstone soils vary from hill to hill.

Vineyards around Scansano sit on clay, limestone and sandstone, with a few volcanic pockets. Belguardo's old vines near Grosseto sit on clay and limestone, while Le Pupille's Poggio Valente grows on sandy, stony ground, so even neighbouring estates taste different.

Vineyards around Scansano sit on clay, limestone and sandstone, with a few volcanic pockets. Belguardo's old vines near Grosseto sit on clay and limestone, while Le Pupille's Poggio Valente grows on sandy, stony ground, so even neighbouring estates taste different.

In the glass: Different weight and grip from site to site; ask the producer where the vines sit

Coastal ripeness is the trade-off: softer wines, but acidity needs protecting.

Morellino ripens earlier than inland Tuscan Sangiovese, so growers watch for heavy, jammy wines and lean on altitude, night cooling and blending partners.

Warmth is both the strength and the risk of the Maremma. Sangiovese here ripens earlier and fuller than in Chianti, which gives the region's plush cherry fruit and rounder tannin, and explains why a young Morellino is so easy to enjoy. The risk is a wine that tastes jammy or low in acidity. Producers respond in a few ways: higher hill sites with big day-to-night temperature swings that preserve acidity; picking at the right moment rather than late; and blending small amounts of other grapes, from Alicante and Ciliegiolo to Syrah or Cabernet, for colour, spice or structure. Large old casks, as at Terenzi, are used to keep tannin integrated rather than adding heavy oak. When you taste two Morellinos side by side, ask where the vines sit and how ripe the grapes were picked: the fresher, higher-toned bottle usually comes from a cooler hill site or earlier picking.

In the glass: Fruit-forward, silky wines; the best keep a firm acid spine

Sandy limestone coast and thick skins give Ansonica its salty grip.

On the Argentario and Giglio, Ansonica grows on limestone-rich sand and rocky granite. The grape has unusually thick skins for a white, which adds a little texture and a slightly bitter, almond-like finish to the salty fruit.

On the Argentario and Giglio, Ansonica grows on limestone-rich sand and rocky granite. The grape has unusually thick skins for a white, which adds a little texture and a slightly bitter, almond-like finish to the salty fruit.

In the glass: Citrus and herbs, a saline edge and a faint bitter-almond finish

Standard Morellino is made young, in steel or concrete, for early drinking.

Many straight Morellinos see little or no oak. That keeps the cherry fruit bright and makes them easy table wines in their first few years.

Many straight Morellinos see little or no oak. That keeps the cherry fruit bright and makes them easy table wines in their first few years.

In the glass: Fresh red cherry, soft tannin, ready on release

Riservas are aged in large casks or barriques - the house style shows.

Terenzi uses large casks to keep tannin integrated; Le Pupille's Poggio Valente sees barriques, with a share of new oak. Ask which when tasting.

Terenzi uses large casks to keep tannin integrated; Le Pupille's Poggio Valente sees barriques, with a share of new oak. Ask which when tasting.

In the glass: Large casks: silky, red-fruited. Barriques: darker, spicier, firmer

Sangiovese is traditionally lifted with a splash of local or international grapes.

Alicante, Ciliegiolo, Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot are all used in small amounts for colour, spice or body. A pure Sangiovese bottle is a deliberate style choice.

Alicante, Ciliegiolo, Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot are all used in small amounts for colour, spice or body. A pure Sangiovese bottle is a deliberate style choice.

In the glass: Spicier, deeper-coloured wines; pure Sangiovese is brighter and more savoury

Concrete, large botti and single-grape bottlings: the new-wave Maremma toolkit.

A few growers use concrete and big old casks instead of steel and small oak, and bottle one variety at a time so the grape and site speak.

The newest wave of Maremma winemaking is defined by what it leaves out. Antonio Camillo ages most wines in concrete, uses large wooden botti only for the longer-aged bottlings and avoids stainless steel altogether. He treats vines only with copper and sulfur and limits machinery, aiming for wines that show the grape's character without alteration. Poggio Argentiera takes a related line in its own way: single-variety wines, strict vineyard selection and cellar work that respects the fruit. These producers matter because they are making Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese and Alicante taste like themselves instead of like the oak. For the drinker the signs are lower tannin, brighter fruit and an earthy, savoury finish. If you like Morellino but find the oaked Riservas heavy, this is the style to explore, and it is cheaper than the flagship wines.

In the glass: Fresher, more transparent fruit with little oak flavour

Organic farming is established on the coast, led by La Parrina.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina is an organic mixed farm where wine is only one of its products. Smaller growers are moving the same way.

Antica Fattoria La Parrina is an organic mixed farm where wine is only one of its products. Smaller growers are moving the same way.

In the glass: No single flavour; usually linked to fresher, cleaner wines and an honest sense of place

The Maremma Super Tuscan: Cabernet, Merlot and Alicante outside the Morellino rules.

A handful of estates blend Cabernet, Merlot and Alicante for dense, age-worthy reds that sell under a broad Tuscan label rather than as Morellino.

The Maremma has its own version of the Super Tuscan story. Estates that wanted to make Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah-led wines, or to blend them with Sangiovese and Alicante without the limits of the Morellino rules, bottle them under the broad Maremma Toscana DOC or the Toscana IGT. Fattoria Le Pupille's Saffredi, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante, is the best-known example and its most acclaimed wine. Poggio Argentiera sells several single-variety and blended reds, including a Cabernet Franc, mostly under the regional label. The wines are riper, denser and oakier than Morellino, but the coast keeps them fresher than a hot inland site would. Compared with Bolgheri, they are far less famous and cost much less, which is exactly why they are interesting to bring home. Judge them by producer, not by label.

In the glass: Black fruit, spice and oak; fuller and riper than Morellino