TWO masters of the Italian Renaissance were in Dublin this week. Urbane gentlemen with impeccable cultural credentials stretching back to the Middle Ages - one a marquess, scion of a family prominent in Florence for 600 years; the other a descendant of an old Veronese family, closely linked in business with a direct descendant of Dante. From a background of tradition and privilege, Marchese Piero Antinori and Sandro Boscaini have managed, over the past 30 years, to reinvigorate Italian winemaking from the roots up. Renaissance really isn't too strong a word.
Tuscany is Antinori's province, as it has been for the last 24 generations of winemakers in his family. Where they presumably stayed put, the young Piero travelled widely, working with international winemakers and top-ranking oenologists. His solid technical training was to prepare the ground for later breakthroughs. First came Tignanello, developed in the early 1970s to halt the sliding reputation of Chianti Classico, which it did with great flamboyance. It was the first wine in Chianti to use a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with the traditional Sangiovese, and the first aged in new oak for a short period, rather than in large old oak barrels - moves that have been widely imitated. "Tignanello gave me the biggest satisfaction I.have had so far," Antinori says. "It was so well received by consumers, especially in Tuscany which we really didn't expect."
At the end of the 1970s, in a year of surplus Cabernet, Antinori reversed the Tignanello recipe to create Solaia, 80 per cent Cabernet, 20 per cent Sangiovese - a wonderfully smooth, luxurious wine (available here only in very limited quantities, at over £30 a bottle). So utterly special are both these wines, indeed, that some of those present this week at the Grants of Ireland Italian Wine Workshop hugged the tasting glasses with their precious contents tightly to their chests for hours.
Besides developing innovative, high quality wines of his own, Marchese Piero Antinori has worked hard to improve Italian wine standards generally. "Our equipment and techniques are now second. to none." he, says, abut in viticulture we are just at the beginning. Crucial future developments lie in the vineyard.
Although his company has interests in Umbria, California and Hungary, Antinori's future lies mainly in Tuscany. Besides the three Chianti Classico estates of Santa Cristina, Peppoli and Badia a Passignano, it has recent acquisitions in Montalcino, Montepulciano and the SuperTuscan territory Bolgheri. "These are producing wine, but we want to be sure it is good enough, before it goes under our name. We'll look out for the Antinori label, I suspect. with the same thirst the master, has demonstrated for exciting, impressive new wines. Should it take time, you will be relieved to hear that the 26th generation is already in harness. The Marchese's three daughters have, he says, exactly what the wine business requires. Passion and brains.
Just as Afternoon leapt into knight-in-shining-armour mode when Chianti was sliding into a decline, it was the collapsing fortunes of Valpolicella that galvanised Sandro Boscaini of Masi into action. Not only did he have the reputation of a fine old family firm to defend Boscaini is a fervent believer in the Veronese tradition of winemaking, going back to the time of the Romans (who developed Amarone, believe it or not, as a wine for diabetics).
Thirty years ago, when he began, Valpolieella was in the doldrums synonymous with cheap, student party plunk an image it has still not completely shed. Boscaini's response was to concentrate on quality, not quantity. Rather than reserve all the best grapes for Amarone and use the worst for poor old Valpol, he set about reorganising Masi's vine yards so that both wines could be produced to a high standard side-by-side, and encouraged other growers to do likewise.
All good, pragmatic stuff but there was also, innovation. For one thing, Masi began to achieve huge success with Campo Fiorin, a wine pioneered by Sandro Boscaini's father. The old ripasso method was used to re-ferment Valpolicella on the skins of Amarone to increase its, strength and flavour - an ingenious method of producing a superior wine at very little extra cost.
More recently Boscaini has hit on a little grown local grape variety, Oseleta, to add an exciting new dimension to Valpolicella Classico. So far it is used only in Masi's Toar, first released in 1990. "But maybe one day," he beams in anticipation, "all Valpolicella will benefit".
Already, by the sound of things, Valpolicella is benefitting - from the hunger, in the world market, for wines that taste different from the overgrown and overblown international grape varietals, and from the increasing demand for wines that go well with food. This very, lively man sees Ireland as a natural growth area for all Italian wines, given our legendary tendency to knock the stuff back in a do Ice vita sort of way. "Yes - drink it. Enjoy it. he urges. We don't believe in analysing too much. When somebody comes up and asks me some technical question, like what the PH of a wine is . . ." His voice trails off, despondent. "It is ridiculous! It is like asking a woman if you can take her measurements before you make love!"
Antinori's three to try Santa Cristina 1994 (widely available, £5-£5.50). "My everyday drinking wine," says the Marchese Piero Antinori. "Great value, great drink ability and you never get tired of it." This reliable young Tuscan is best drunk while it's still fresh and fruity.
Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 1991 (widely available, £7.99 approx.) A pillar of Antinori success - a very appealing, reasonably priced Chianti Classico with good balance of cherry flavours and typically Italian chewiness in the finish. Consistent quality despite quantity.
Tignanello 1991 (Superquinn and good oft licences including Veilings, McCabes, Limerick Fine Wines, £19-£22) Antinori's greatest achievement - first of the "SuperTuscans", developed in the early 1970s using 20 per cent Cabernet, 80 per cent Sangiovese and widely copied. A wine of enormous complexity and finesse, international in style yet unmistakably Italian. NB: Antinori Wines are also available from Direct Wine Shipments, Belfast.
Masi's trio of treats
Valpolicella Classico Superiore 1993 (widely available,
£6.29) Proof of how tempting and delicious well-made Valpolicella can be, with intense cherry flavours with a zingy twist at the end. Well made, well priced and terrific with food.
Campo Fioria Ripasso 1991 (many outlets including Molloys, Redmonds, Vintry, Rathgar, £9.99 approx.) Masi's most intriguing innovation - a Valpolicella refermented on the lees of Amarone so that it gains in strength and spicy richness and is still easy to drink - the perfect partner for a whole range of foods. See Bottle of the Week.
Amarone della Valpolicella 1991 (good off-licences including McCabes; Foleys, Dun Laoghaire; The Vineyard, Galway, £13.99 approx.) A December Bottle of the Week - a powerful and sumptuous red made by the ancient appassimento method which involves air drying the grapes to concentrate their sugar, alcohol and flavours. It's often described as a meditation wine, for sipping after dinner, but Sandro Boscaini prefers it with a meal as a vino de ciacole - wine for good chat.