“Nearco” Rosso Toscana IGT 2021 (BIO)

Col d'Orcia | Tuscany
Col d'Orcia s.r.l. s.a. | Via Giuncheti | IT 53024 Montalcino

09132921 · 0,75 l · 36,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

Nearco was unbeatable. 14 starts, 14 wins – the Derby Italiano, the Grand Prix de Paris, and everything in between. The Piedmontese breeder Federico Tesio had bred him in 1935 and knew he had something extraordinary on his hands. As the war drew near, Tesio sold the horse to England for £60,000 – a sum that was a potential world record at the time. The British were so enthusiastic that they built Nearco a bomb-proof bunker. Today, he is the genetic progenitor of almost all modern thoroughbreds – from Northern Dancer to Secretariat, from Frankel to Sea the Stars.

It is no coincidence that Col d'Orcia named its international cuvée after this stallion. In the 1980s, the estate was the first in Montalcino to plant non-native grape varieties in the Sangiovese hills – a bold decision at the time, too. Nearco blends Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from the estate's own vineyard on Sant'Angelo Hill, on the chalky-marly soils that provide the backbone for the entire Col d'Orcia range. Each grape variety is fermented separately – with 20 days' maceration in stainless steel tanks and malolactic fermentation in concrete vats – before the blend is aged for 24 months in French barriques. Biodynamic, from vine to bottle.

The 2021 vintage demonstrates what this terroir can do with international grape varieties: an intense ruby red with violet hues. The nose opens with blackcurrant, blackberry jam and a subtle hint of tomato leaf – followed by toasted wood, dark chocolate and a touch of lavender. Powerfully structured on the palate, with ripe, supple tannins and a long, balanced finish. Not a Bordeaux imitation, nor a Montalcino clone, but a distinctively Tuscan character. Naturally, it's not quite as unbeatable as its namesake. But it's convincing enough to emerge as one of the favourites in any blind tasting. SUPERIORE.DE

"This red is vibrant and packed with blackberry, black cherry and black currant flavors, plus a hint of chocolate. Accents of earth and spices add detail as the beefy tannins flex their muscles on the finish." Wine Spectator