Our quest for the world’s best Pinot Noir can take us to some pretty unexpected places. Until we tasted “Focara” from Fattoria Mancini, we frankly never thought we’d offer Pinot from Italy’s coastal Marche region. But the proof was in our glasses: darkfruited and Volnay-esque lift, rumbling earth tones reminiscent of Nuits-Saint-Georges, and a soulfully grippy structure that could only be Italian. After all, as we came to learn, this isn’t Pinot planted by some overambitious winery owner looking to capitalize on current trends. Mancini’s vineyards have been planted to Pinot for over 200 years. They’re easily in the running for the title of Italy’s most unique sites, located as they are inside of a national park, and planted on a cliff ending in a sheer drop into the Adriatic. “Focara” would be a stunning bottle of Pinot Noir no matter where it came from, but to taste a terroir like this makes it all the more special. Pinot diehards and Italian wine aficionados alike would do well to load up!
Why does Pinot Noir grow in the Marche at all? As Napoleon gained control of much of northern Italy in the late 18th century, his administration brought French varieties with them. In 1810, the vineyards now belonging to Mancini were marked out as especially suited to the most noble variety the French knew of, Pinot Noir. There’s no denying this is a truly special site. Located at the far northern edge of the Marche region on Italy’s eastern coast, it’s north-facing and buttressed almost constantly by breezes off the Adriatic. This makes it far cooler than most microclimates in the Marche, where red varieties are more likely to be Sangiovese or Montepulciano. The soils are a calcareous sandstone, well-drained with a structure not unlike the limestone soils of the Côte d’Or. And located in the Monte San Bartolo national park, they’re surrounded on three sides by wild forests.
The Mancini family have owned this plot of Pinot since 1861. They’ve made improving the quality of Italian Pinot Noir (or “Pinot Nero”) their mission, and have spent decades isolating the clones that perform best in their vineyards, replacing those unsuited to this special place. The estate is run by Luigi Mancini and his wife Shayle, who trained at such legendary Pinot producers as Felton Road in New Zealand. They farm organically in their vineyards, eschewing any synthetic sprays and doing every bit of work by hand. They produce Pinot that can go toe-to-toe with the best around the world, but with a distinctly Italian touch. Their “Focara” is harvested by hand and fully destemmed for a weeklong cold maceration, then fermented for two weeks and aged in partially new French barriques for a full year.
Of course, you’ll want to break out the Burgundy bowls for Mancini’s “Focara,” and serve it as you would any great Pinot, just above cellar temp. It pours a deep ruby with hints of purple at the core, and the nose bursts from the glass with classic Pinot perfume. Crushed black raspberries, cherry liqueur, plum skin and orange zest fruit join savory tones like black tea, peppercorns, and mushroomy earth. The palate is medium-full, definitively a powerful expression of Pinot, with an outline of sandy tannin and judicious acidity. It’s delicious now, a full-throttle expression of the variety ready to match up to any autumnal meal, but it’ll really pay dividends with a few years in your cellar. Best to grab a six-pack and discover the magic of Marche Pinot Noir!
