Today’s 2015 is just the third commercial vintage of this wine, which is kind of hard for me to believe given what a beautifully realized expression of Sangiovese it is. It’s no exaggeration to call Sangiovese one of the most difficult grapes in the world to work with, so for a relative newcomer to nail it so thoroughly—the aromatics, the proportions, the structure—is impressive, to say the least.
It’s also noteworthy that this wine hails from the “Romagna side” of the Apennine Mountains that separate Florence and Bologna, which is where many experts believe the Sangiovese grape originated. The Noelia Ricci vineyards are in the hills of Predappio, in the Emilia-Romagna province of Forlì, which is a historically important growing zone for Sangiovese; most wine lovers associate the variety almost exclusively with Tuscany (Chianti; Montalcino), but this is a place (Romagna) and a producer highly deserving of a spot at the table. “Godenza” is a lovingly tended single vineyard of about 300 meters’ elevation in the hamlet of Fiumana di Predappio, one of a small collection of “crus” the estate farms and the source of this its top wine. Crafted from 100% Sangiovese aged only in tank and bottle, its purity and finesse rivals anything from the other side of the Apennines. It is a must-try for lovers of the best wines from Chianti or Montalcino: Believe me, it does not disappoint!
The Noelia Ricci vineyards cover about seven hectares of an old family property that spans more than 140 hectares near Predappio. Known as Tenuta Pandolfa and owned by local nobles for centuries, the property was acquired in 1941 by Giuseppe Ricci, an entrepreneur from Forlì. The estate had been occupied for a time by the German army towards the end of WWII, and it wasn’t until the 1950s that Ricci began extensive renovations and the planting of the first grapevines. Ricci’s daughter, Noelia—namesake of the new ‘brand’—took over in the 1980s, making wines under the Villa Pandolfa label; her grandson, Marco Cirese, carved out a small selection of vineyards within the vast Pandolfa estate to create the Noelia Ricci line. He chose what he considered to be the best, high-elevation sites and enlisted the help of Romagna neighbor Francesco Bordini of Villa Papiano (another reference-point Sangiovese producer in the region) in both the vineyards and cellar.
“Godenza,” ranging from 300-350 meters’ elevation, is predominantly marl (limestone/clay) with a small percentage of sand, and in this respect is quite similar in soil composition to much of Chianti Classico. While the climate is “continental,” there’s enough elevation to get a nightly cool-down from the Apennines above, which helps extends the growing season and preserve both freshness and aromatics. To me, the real triumph of this wine is indeed its aromatic profile: I often assert that the best Sangiovese wines are also Italy’s most “Burgundian,” but the emphasis here is on “best.” As author Ian D’Agata notes in his exhaustive book, Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Sangiovese is “anything but easy…producing truly great (not just very good), world-class wines seems possible only for a lucky or gifted few.”
In 2015 anyway, I’d count Cirese et.al. at Noelia Ricci among that lucky/gifted few. This wine, from 100% Sangiovese aged eight months in stainless steel tanks and another year in bottle before release, is a deeply flavorful and unadorned look at the variety: In the glass, it’s a reflective garnet-red moving to light crimson at the rim, with a perfumed nose of red and black cherry, red currant, roses and violets, tomato leaf, and a hint of pepper. Medium-bodied and invigoratingly fresh, it is driven first and foremost by clean, ripe fruit, making it one of the most “Pinot-ish” takes on Sangiovese I’ve tried in quite some time. It has a bright, lit-from-within quality and lots of persistence on the finish, with a firm structure that suggests that it will improve in the cellar—I’d say 5-7 years with ease, although it’s awfully hard to stay away from it now. Do as I did and decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. The slam-dunk regional pairing here would be a classic
ragù Bolognese (Bologna being just up the road from Forlì), which this wine will cut through like a knife through butter. Don’t miss this! Cheers!
