Principe Corsini - Tuscany, Italy

Sarah and I had the opportunity to go to Italy earlier this year.   With the downtime at Thanksgiving we're now getting around to posting about our winery experiences there.   The wines at Principe Corsini are of the classic Tuscan type - predominantly Sangiovese with the DOCG designation.   The wines were good and like most Italian Chianti, a great value for the money.   And if the wines were good, the experience was great.   Principie Corsini has been operating for several hundred years.   They can trace their ancestry back to Italian royalty, hence the "principe" in the name, meaning "prince" in Italian.

As far as the winemaking goes, they farm 80 hectares and also produce olive oil, which we sampled.   It was quite good!  Their wines are aged in very large oak barrels like the one pictured above with Sarah standing beside it.   Because the barrels are so large, there is very little oak in the wines and the cherry flavored fruit really comes out.   I have to admit that I like the Piedmont varieties better than Sangiovese, but again, Principe Corsini's wines were very good.   The cellar was ancient and one had to love the old world feel of it.   However, modern winemaking theory emphasiszes cleanliness and any California or Oregon vinter would be frightened by the amount of mold on the walls.   The objection being that barrels breathe and it's almost certain that some of that mold finds its way into the wine.   That's not a health objection, but more of a concern for the quality of the wine.   Nonetheless the vintages at Principie Corsini seem to survive ;).

Even better than the wines were the grounds that surround the cellar.   As you can see from the pictures below, they have immaculate gardens and beautiful views.   Sarah and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the estate which includes a large Tuscan villa that dates back a few hundred years.

All in all it was a great experience, and I highly recommend the trek to Principie Corsini if you ever find yourself in Tuscany.   You can find out more about this traditional Italian winery at their website http://www.principecorsini.com/en/home/.