The Sangiovese-Plus Garden (Il Conte Villa Prandone Recent Releases)
“Everybody has Sangiovese in their garden, basically.”
As Il Conte Villa Prandone co-owner Marina De Angelis and Sales Director Luigi D’Angelo put it during an online media tasting of the estate’s releases, their home turf in Italy’s Marche is a hotbed of Sangiovese awesomeness.
Since the 1950s, the De Angelis family has managed the entire production chain of the estate, technically situated in the south of the Marche region, about 5 miles from the Adriatic and 25 miles from the Apennines mountains. Back then, in Monteprandone (in the province of Ascoli Piceno), Amilcare De
Angelis planted seven hectares of vineyards. Thirty-eight years later, his son Marino took the reins of the family business, registering it under its current as a tribute to Amilcare, who was nicknamed ‘Lu Kont,'( ‘the count’ in the local Marche dialect).
Legend has it that Cavalier Prandone, a Charlemagne loyalist, in the village in the 9th century to build a castle “from which to dominate the surrounding area.” It wasn’t just a good spot for dominating military constructions; the combination of sea breezes, sirocco winds from the southeast, and cooler mountain
winds proved a nice spot for growing Sangiovese, along with other varieties like Pecorino and Montepulciano. So much so, in fact, that Il Conte Villa Prandone now farms 50 hectares of vines, and produces twelve different labels (half of which are whites), and at least half of which by my tasting reckoning are pretty damned good.
2022 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Navicchio’ Pecorino, Offida, $21
100% Pecorino, and named after the clay soil hill where those vines are planted, south-facing so that “they get as much sun as possible” according to Luigi, and get ample amounts of wind. Fermented half in barrel and half in stainless steel, about 10,000 bottles/year are made. Lovely from the get-go. Just-ripe tropical fruit notes (reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc), along with jasmine, white flower, and citrus aromas. Perky, jubilant, and fresh AF in the mouth (though the energy is tamed by the roundness of the acidity), with apples, minerals, and lemons. The finish is quite long and toasty, with hints of spices. Could be your next fave house pour white.
2021 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Donello’ Marche Sangiovese IGT, $23
Also named after a hillside planting, this time of Sangiovese. This is a traditional red of the region. seeing six months aging in concrete. There’s some funk to start, with ripe cherry fruit earthy, and licorice. Hints of tobacco. In the mouth, it’s an explosion of red berry fruitiness, with tons of vibrancy, moving to quite ripe flavors and some dark, leathery notes. It’s very friendly, a bit spicy, and punches above its price weight class (order pizza with this one, especially with spicy sausage on it, and thank me later).
2020 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Marinus’ Rosso Piceno Superiore, Marche, $25
Their flagship red, named in honor of Marino. A blend of Sangiovese (30%) and Montepulciano (70%), seeing two years of barrel aging (2nd use). About 18,000 bottles/year. Smells plummy, juicy, and powerful. Earth, dried herb spices, and black cherry dominate, with plums and currants also stepping in to have some fun. Again, the ripeness of the flavors are tempered by the raging freshness. The dry tannins also have some nice tension with the wine’s balsamic elements. This is assertive, but simultaneously charming.
2020 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Zipolo’, Marche, $34
A blend of 70% Montepulciano, 15% Sangiovese, and 15% Merlot (also aged two years in 2nd use barrels). The name refers to a barrel bung, and is fun to say in just about any language, I suppose. Probably the most “international” style of their wines, with the Merlot adding more blue and black plum notes. There are also hints of chocolate spice. Rounder in the mouth than the company’s other reds, the freshness is still there, but the darker forest-like fruits are pushed more to the fore. A definite people-pleaser.
2020 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘IX Prandone’ Marche IGT, $80
100% Merlot, also aged 15 months in barrique and 15 months in concrete. Luigi calls this “our little gem,” with only 1,500 bottles made per year. Their grandfather had the vision to plant a small plot of Merlot, and this wine acts as an icon-level tribute to that, named for the nearby Monte Prandone and the 9th century Cavalier Prandone loyal to Charlemagne. Lots happening in this dark, dark red. Ripe notes of fresh and dried plums, dried herbs and black licorice, balsamic, and earth. Damn, that palate has power, poise, and a sense of toasty prestige. I love the battle going on between the structure, dark fruit flavor, and acidity. The whole thing is still in play and the sparring won’t be over for a few more years yet.
2020 Il Conte Villa Prandone ‘Lu Kont’, Marche, $50
100% Multepuciano from 30+ year old vines, aged 15 months in barrique and 15 months in concrete, with about 5,000 bottles produced and named in honor of the company’s founder (“the count”). Needs time to open up, and still seems relatively young. Some developed notes with sour black cherry and dark plums, dried herb spice and dark chocolate notes, round and supple tannins, and some nice savory action throughout (especially on the epically long finish). Despite all of its polish, there is something down-home, honest, and gritty about its flavors. At the end of the day, though, this is seductively balanced.
Cheers!
