“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 – derby Italiano, Grand Prix de Paris, and everything in between. Piedmontese breeder Federico Tesio had bred him in 1935 and knew he had something extraordinary on his hands. As war approached, Tesio sold the horse to England for a then world-record £60,000. The British were so impressed that they built Nearco a bomb-proof bunker. Today, he is the genetic ancestor 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 foreign grape varieties in the Sangiovese hills – also a bold decision at the time. Nearco brings together Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from its own vineyard on the Sant'Angelo hill, on the calcareous, marly soils that underpin the entire Col d'Orcia portfolio. Each grape variety is fermented separately – 20 days maceration in steel tanks, malo in cement –before the assemblage matures for 24 months in French barriques. Biodynamic, from the vine to the bottle.

The 2021 shows what this terroir can do with international varieties: Intense ruby red with violet reflections. The nose opens with blackcurrant, blackberry jam and a subtle tomato leaf flavour – followed by toasted wood, dark chocolate and a hint of lavender. Powerfully structured on the palate, with ripe, supple tannins and a long, balanced finish. Not a Bordeaux imitation, not a Montalcino clone, but an independent Tuscan character. Of course, it is not completely unbeaten like its namesake. But it is convincing enough to be one of the favourites in any blind tasting. SUPERIORE.DE