Legend of Maremma: a sensual Sangiovese that thinks it’s a Buttero

Not everyone knows that the buttero is our very own version, or in fact the Maremman version, of the American cowboy.

Always in the saddle, riding through fields or driving herds to new pastures, he knows his land inside out, acre by acre.

And like every good countryman, he also knows that there is no better way of describing his beloved land than with a scent. 

This is why, by just nosing a glass of Tiaso made by the Tiaso winery, a single-varietal Sangiovese from the province of Scansano, a local son of the soil would have no doubts, declaring: 

“There’s no question about it, this is Diamanti’s wine!”

With the same simplicity and authenticity of a painting by Fattori, the Macchiaiolo painter from Livorno, with a few, yet distinctive, slightly dusty brush strokes, this Sangiovese tells the tale of the Mediterranean bush in summer: the sun that beats down on a land that is as green in some places as it is dry in others, where the herbs, rosemary, juniper, sage, and laurel, only exist in a concentrated, explosive version. 

Its soft alcoholic sweetness reminds us of the warmth of this land, while its mellow yet rhythmic acidity brings to mind the distant chirping of the cicadas at night in the summer.

It’s a sincere wine, with authentic and slightly shy features. You have to swirl it round in the glass before it will release all its aromas.

But when it reveals itself, it holds nothing back, overcoming you wildly and passionately. 

If I had to put a face to it, I’d say it resembles Tristan, the mysterious, charming character played by Brad Pitt in “Legend of the Fall”.

And even if, as you will have guessed, its character is definitely #Sensual, because of its soft, silky mouthfeel and spicy aroma, this Sangiovese is definitely not a philanderer that tries it on with one and all. A flirt, we mean. A wine with no tangible structure. 

It might not be sophisticated but when it boldly sweeps the palate off its feet with that sweet note of wild brambles, you can’t help but succumb to its charms and let yourself go to this dancing Tiaso, in what is not so much a frenzied Dionysian movement but instead a slow dance set against a background of country music, strummed and sung by Bruce Springsteen himself on his acoustic guitar.

What can we say, the Maremma area is undoubtedly something you have to feel with your own skin and smell with your own nostrils, but this Sangiovese definitely offers a good preview of what you can expect. 

Especially if it’s accompanied by a wild boar peposo, a succulent, fragrant stew, ideal for eating with polenta or grilled radicchio topped by a drizzle of oil and pepper (pairings suggested by Fausto, the producer!)

It has to be said: A legend of a Sangiovese! 

We tried it at the Sangiovese and its siblings WINE SHOW and here’s what happened!