Our tasting impressions
Another terrific vintage of Le Lame. I struggle to describe this wine more than any other. It is just so distinctly different than anything else. The flavors are exotic, yet familiar. It seems like a wine that would not appeal to everyone, but we are yet to meet anyone who isn't charmed by it. A contender for world's greatest wine value.
About this wine
IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica. It is unclassified wine but not necessarily a measure of quality (expensive Super Tuscans are IGT).
The wine is 100% Malvasia from young vines in Montefollonico. Fermentation is in steel tanks without the skins. It is usually bottled the following April after wide-grain filtration.
Tuscan whites are more typically based on Trebbiano. But Vittorio hates Trebbiano (except for Vin Santo). So, he pulled up most of the vines and replaced them with his preferred Malvasia.
About the grape
Malvasia is an incredibly flexible grape variety used to produce many different types of wine. Likely of Greek origin, it was first cultivated about 2,000 years ago. It is prone to oxidizing, which is why it is commonly used in fortified wines.
Vittorio Innocenti, a former philosophy teacher, started producing wine from his family's vineyards with the 1978 vintage from his 13th century cellar in Montefollonico. There are 32 hectares of vines in Montepulciano and Montefollonico but only 12 are planted with vineyards of up to 80 years old. The vista views from the back patio are incredible.
Today, Vittorio's son Tommaso and his partner Vincenza (aka Nancy) handle most of the work. But Vittorio is the keeper of the intellectual capital for all seven wines - in particular both versions of Vin Santo.
The Innocentis are a gracious, wonderful family. The Guru has known them longer than any other wine producer. He admires their intense commitment to producing the highest quality wines - taking as much pride in their most modest offering as they do in their top bottling.
VDLT is the only North American source for these extraordinary wines that are released much later than most top estates in the appellation. The Vino Nobile, Riserva and Acerone are capable of long and magnificent aging. In the photo to the right, we enjoyed a 1985, 1988 and 1993 at a recent lunch. Their freshness and vibrancy belied their ages.
