Passing By: Count Francesco Cinzano of Col d’Orcia

I met Count Francesco Marone Cinzano in India in January 2008 when he visited India with a delegation of Montalcino producers from Tuscany, as President of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. Mumbai as the first stop was the first international city in the world to officially taste the latest release of Brunello di Montalcino 2003 vintage, followed by Delhi. According to the Appellation laws, Brunello di Montalcino docg may be released on January 1, 5 years following the harvest year. These wines had perhaps not even been tasted yet in USA, the most important market (where a big scandal had followed later in the year-and covered widely by delWine).

After that visit I have been meeting him regularly, in Italy or India and sharing information on the coveted wine, the last rendezvous being in February this year when we shared a glass of Champagne in one of the oldest bars in Italy in Montalcino Centro (downtown) before heading for the Gala Dinner at Benvenuto Brunello, an annual event which I have been attending for the last several years.

It was but natural for me to make sure I attended the special dinner organised in Delhi by his Indian distributor for a decade, Ace Beveragez on November 3 at Hotel Roseate House, Aerocity. Last time he visited India was in 2014 when a Dinner was organised at the Taj Chambers Mumbai when he presented a Vertical Tasting of Brunello in 2009-2006 when I was privileged to be a special invitee from Delhi. Earlier, Delhi Wine Club had organised a spectacular, Al fresco wine dinner in 2011 at Hotel Park where only red wines from the Estate had been served in his presence.

Il Conte (The Count) has not changed over the years in appearance or demeanour. Sharply dressed in a dark blue suit and with his immaculate silvery greybeard, he was equally enthusiastic to start the evening with Erasmo from his Chilean organic Caliboro Estate in Maule Valley which he says produces over 50% of Chilean wines. His passion for Brunello is understandable when he says, ‘Brunello di Montalcino is the only wine made from Sangiovese grape-actually known as the “little dark one”, a well aging variety. I believe that the combination of the Terroir and the volcanic soils make the grape unique in Montalcino where we produce Brunello and also Rosso di Montalcino.’

Dinner at Roseate House

Count Cinzano and Ace Beveragez had organised a vertical tasting 3 wines- ‘Best of Three Vintages in Three Decades’-2012, 2006, 1997. No evening can be complete without Poggio Al Vento –the Riserva wine the 2001 vintage of which was the star of the evening.  Introduced in 1982, the wine is named after a single vineyard of the same name, meaning ‘high wind’ because of high winds that cool off the grapes. This wine is produced in exceptional years- only 13 vintages have been released since inception in 1982-including 2001 after which only 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 have been released so far. The wine undergoes 4 year long aging in the traditional large oak barrels and 3 years in the bottle.  Thus it is aged for a year more than required by the law, and represents one of the highest expressions of pure Sangiovese in Montalcino.

The 2012 was still young and fresh.  2006 was very complex and layered wine that has years to go before it starts its downward journey. It was 1997 that was in the perfect stage of drinking with the rose petal perfumes that were interspersed with red berry flavours. Well rounded and elegant wine, even though the vintage had seen some rough weather during its grape growing cycle, as he faithfully shared.

Chef Anuj Wadhawan was in an experimental mode this evening.  He had cooked Indian food in Tuscan style, or as he claimed it-Tuscan food in Indian style. The Magaz Pate was outstanding and paired well with Brunello 2012. Tandoori Mushroom Terrine with dried mushroom on top- matched so well with the 2006 that it was difficult to decide which tasted better by itself. Badal Jaam- Lamb keema with hung curd was an excellent dish, a tad too spicy for some. The curd could have been slightly more to mellow down the spice but the aubergine combo was brilliant and danced with Brunello 2006. 

Rajma Gogji -Rajma (from Jammu) stew with Pork sausage was perhaps the best dish- an example of how a good Chef can turn a simple dish into a culinary specialty. Went well with the kandhari naan (the combo with Poggio Al Vento Riserva 2001 could have been a complete dinner for me). However, the earlier Reshmi Roti  version of Pici, the hand-rolled thick Tuscan Pasta called Pinci in Montalcino, was a disaster for me, and the Brunello matching.  Going by the left-overs on the other plates, I was not the only one.

With a lot of excellent wines downed with delicious food it was almost time to leave. But there was a surprise at the end –to go with the delicious texture of chocolate with wine jelly. Erasmo Torontel 2012, a Late Harvest wine from the local cross of grapes in Chile, was irresistible with its honey, peach and tropical flavours- a divine match for the dessert.

Roseate House had created an excellent ambience for the dinner-it appears they would make an excellent destination for wine dinners.  While we await Il Conte for his next visit in 3 years, going by his consistent past record, I look forward to meeting him again in February 2018 in Montalcino when I will try to understand how 2006 became better than 2008 which at the time of Release was rated very high by critics and he had had admitted it was the best he ever made and that he was not sure if he could produce a better vintage-ever.

Till then, Cin-Cin. Jai Ho!!

Subhash Arora

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