I ‘m having Ciliegiolo in purity today! But not just any Ciliegiolo! Today I’m having Serisè 2015 of Cesani Winery. This is the only way I have to resume my tours in Tuscany that I miss so very much…
This particular bottle brings me back to Pancole and the wonderful reality I discovered the only “day off” during the exciting marathon at the Tuscan Previews together with Nasodvino, my wine mate, and Elisa Fiore Gubellini as a very special “special guest” (I miss you guys!).
Let’s take a step back however! Falling in love with Ciliegiolo at Sangiovese Purosangue in Siena says it all about the finesse and importance of this wine. How daring to have brought Ciliegiolo to the court of Sangiovese, among Brunello, Nobile, Chianti, and a lot more. It turned out to be a strategic move indeed, let me tell you, because not only it did make a statement with elegance and eloquence, but it won my heart over for good!
Serisé burst out in the glass with an overwhelming symphony of fragrances. Red fruit jam and delicious white flowers, but I have noticed that my nose lately goes immediately in search of the particular, intriguing and more difficult notes to decode. It is most likely a professional distortion by now, but I often have to go back and appreciate the most immediate hints afterwards. And so, with no effort at all, I let myself be pampered by sweet and enveloping notes of chocolate and toffee, tobacco and leather, supported by balsamic and delicately pungent notes of licorice, white pepper and sea breeze.
And then that unmistakable scent, the one I love to call the Angels’ share! It is the fragrance that permeates every cellar, of grapes, stems, wine that rests in the wooden barrels and that takes me back in no time to Letizia Cesani who welcomed me with generosity in her world and in her beautiful Cellar. A Cellar made with lights and colors, harmony and beauty. Scents that tell a story of several decades now, of passion, dedication, work and love. The same story that all the wonderful wines of Cesani are able to tell.
The taste-olfactory consistency is textbook! The sip is full and creamy with an important glycerin component opposed to a tannic texture of undeniable elegance, and a saltiness that makes the sip all the more dynamic and balanced. A kiss of salt chocolate, to give you an idea, with licorice at the end and a never-ending salty finish. A wine so pleasant and charming that it can certainly be enjoyed on its own, but with braised veal and Tropea sweet onions it was a real treat and a perfect pairing!
This is where my virtual tour of Tuscany reaches its end, the bottle is now empty, and we are back to the hard reality waiting for better times to come. I’ve been in Zen mode for two weeks now like everyone else unfortunately. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m trying to keep my spirits up, but the truth is that I cry my eyes out every time I read the Coronavirus update at the end of the day. We’ll all get over this, but it is going to hurt for a long time to come. In the meantime, please drink the good Italian wine because not even the Coronavirus will ever be able to compromise the great reputation it as gained worldwide!