Wednesday, April 28, 2021 12 Tasting Notes The phrase “Super Tuscan” was coined when some wineries from the famed Italian region ignored the tight restrictions of the DOC laws yet still managed to produce top wines with outlawed grape varieties, making even the best Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino producers shudder. This was a time when tradition collided fiercely with innovation in the 1970s in Italy. Today, Super Tuscan wines include some of the most formidable names recognized worldwide. They are expensive but often worth every penny. But there are of course many affordable “Super Tuscans” too. Those are...

"Although Tuscan winemaker Castello di Volpaia is widely recognized for its portfolio of upscale Chianti Classico labels, in recent years the winery has spread its wings with Prelius, a larger-volume label produced in the coastal Maremma Toscana DOC. The Prelius lineup includes a 100% Vermentino and a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, both certified organic and priced at $16 a 750-ml. Prelius is aimed at on-premise accounts—its Cabernet Sauvignon is 84% on-premise—with a target by-the-glass price point of $10. "Prelius’ production levels nearly double those of Volpaia’s Chianti Classico–based labels. Between 80,000 and 100,000 bottles of Prelius are produced annually, with Cabernet...

"In the hilly amphitheater of the Tuscan Maremma, above the coastal flatlands sits an ancient lake the Romans called Prelius. Surrounded by the untamed marshes and scrub brush of the Tuscan coast line, a new vineyard sits poised above the lake. "As I commented only yesterday, the acquisition of land in Maremma by Tuscan winemakers seems to be a frenetic endeavor. Today's article only reinforces the notion. Born to honor the legacy of the lake the Romans named, the estate of Prelius was created. "The Prelius estate was acquired in 2007 by the Stianti Mascheroni family, owners of the venerable...

"Commit these names to memory and you'll never be at loss for a well-priced bottle of wine. These are the brands that regularly turn out excellent wines for $18 or less, the ones that you can trust when every dollar counts. To find them, we looked at all the more than 12,000 wines we tasted over the past year and selected out the brands with the most high-scoring wines in this price range. To make your summer wine shopping easier, we've listed the two top-scoring wines for each brand and present them where we think you'll most enjoy drinking them:...

CASTELLO DI VOLPAIA PROPRIETORS RELEASE FIRST WINES FROM NEW MAREMMA ESTATE, PRELIUS Organically farmed vineyards, contemporary packaging and affordable prices Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy (April 10, 2009) – The Stianti Mascheroni family, leaders in Tuscany’s organic viticultural movement, will debut its first vintage of Prelius wines worldwide this spring. The Prelius estate is located in the hilly amphitheater of Tuscany’s Maremma region, which marks the family’s first venture outside its Chianti Classico estate. Prelius wines are made with grapes grown in organically farmed vineyards managed by Federica Mascheroni Stianti, daughter of Castello di Volpaia proprietors Giovannella Stianti and Carlo Mascheroni....