Slow Wine Tasting with Il Borro
Article and photos by Danny Grimshaw
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…well it has certainly felt like a long lost memory since the last gathering of the Slow Food faithful in Hong Kong. On a rainy and blustery evening in mid-October 2021 after surviving back to back typhoons, it was a great time to get out and up close to some other living souls (socially distanced, vaxxed and sanitised) to enjoy a relaxing trip to Tuscany with Dario Mulino and the boutique wines of Il Borro.
Set in the bright and comfortable tasting room provided by Watson’s Wines, we were greeted with warm smiles and somewhat nervous chit-chat (I think many of us are more recently used to speaking through Zoom, from lounge rooms and in sweatpants). However, it didn’t take long for everyone to relax and settle in for an informative and engaging evening. Our guide on the night was Dario, an Italian native, Slow Food University graduate, wine expert and Asia Pacific brand manager for the Il Borro Estate.
The journey begins with an insight into the remarkably long history of the estate. It stretches back to medieval times, in which they survived feudal wars and many changes in rulers and owners, including the famous Medici’s. The estate is now owned and run by the Ferragamo family (yes, the famous Italian fashion house) who have brought a new focus to Il Borro. The estate, spread over 1,100 hectares, now boasts boutique luxury accommodation, two restaurants, an organic produce farm, a vast and ancient wine cellar and, of course, grape vines.
As we start focusing on the vineyards, we are discretely poured our first wine for the night, a white wine called Lamelle. It is a refreshing, bright and vibrant unoaked Chardonnay, reminiscent of the French Chablis wines, being leaner and more mineral than a traditional oaked Chardonnay.
Dario continues to run through his presentation, highlighting Il Borro’s unique vineyard sites in the Val d’Arno, on the wooded slopes of the Pratomagno mountains, and their commitment to organic farming practices. We learn a little about the curiosity of Cow Horn manure and the slightly odd theory of “sexual confusion”, which definitely sounded much more exotic in Italian!
Next up we are poured three more wines, starting with a Syrah/Sangiovese blend called Pian di Nova. A vibrant wine, made in a lighter style with good acidity and red fruit flavours. Following on, we have a unique wine called Petruna Sangiovese in Anfora. The wine is made using large clay jars (amphora), which allows the wine to mature without any dominant oak flavours. You could argue that this wine is a pure expression of the region, as the flavours and aromas are the direct reflection of the local soils, water and sunshine. I found this wine particularly beautiful and elegant. The next wine tasted was a medium bodied Sangiovese, the full name being Sangiovese Toscana Polissena, Valdarno di Sopra, Denominazione di Origine Controllata. Quite the tasty mouthful.
By now, I think most of us were nicely warmed up with rosy cheeks and eager to move on to the final two wines for the night. But first we were treated to a delicious Italian tomato and herb focaccia, shared around like you would at a family gathering and just the thing to reset our palates for the grand finale. The first of which, called simply Il Borro Toscana IGT, is a blend of merlot, cabernet and shiraz and commonly referred to as a Super Tuscan. The wine is full-bodied with velvety rich red fruits, hints of vanilla and a decent kick of alcohol at 15.5% (a la Super Tuscan!).
We continued to our final wine with Dario’s gentle, almost lyrical, stories washing over us. He shared his memories about his studies at the Slow Food University, working as a wine buyer, travelling the world… maybe it was wine getting to me, but what a wine to finish on! The flagship Il Borro 2015 Alessandro dal Borro Syrah, limited release magnum. It was a genuine treat to be able to enjoy this wine, made in only the best years and limited to around 2000 bottles. I think there is no need to describe this wine; I can only say it was as warm and luxurious as a Tuscan Villa in the summer (definitely the wine talking now). Ciao!