Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/833814
112 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2017 { Cellar View } WE TRAVELED TO TUSCANY for our vertical tasting, or rather Tuscany traveled to us! Dr. Antonio Moretti Cuseri, owner of Tenuta Sette Ponti, flew in to present eight vintages of his Super Tuscan, Oreno, to Anthony Dias Blue, Editor-in-Chief of The Somm Journal; Nathaniel Muñoz, Wine Director at The Rose CaféVenice; Sean Van Straatum, General Manager of Avec Nous; and Taylor Grant, Wine Director of Scopa Italian Roots. Located between Florence and Arezzo in the Chianti region, Tenuta Sette Ponti—meaning seven bridges in Italian—has 50 hectares (124 acres) of vines planted on its 330-hectare (815-acre) property. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate the plantings, and the vintages of Oreno we tasted split between a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008 wines and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot in the later 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2015 vintages. Moretti Cuseri fell in love with Sassicaia and knew that Tenuta Sette Ponti could make wines of that caliber too. He took over the winery operations in 1997 with the aim of refining the wines, leading them to a more elegant expression. In 2010, the winery decided to progress its strategy by encouraging more interaction between the winemakers and the vineyard managers and by meeting with individual tonnelleries in order to introduce custom-made barrels for each variety. "We want to wrap the oak around the wine rather than imposing oak on the wine," states Moretti Cuseri. "A great winemaker understands the evolution of a wine and does not force it." As a whole, the lineup showed impressively, with the group diametrically split on some of them—the beauty of different palates and well-made wine. The over - whelming group favorite was the super-savory 2007, with the 2014 a close second despite its explicit y outh. Moretti Cuseri and I liked the 2008 with Moretti Cuseri commenting on how he enjoyed being able to taste in this format, in an objective way. In addition to Oreno, Tenuta Sette Ponti produces Vigna dell'Impero, Vigna di Pallino, Vigna di Pallino Riserva, Crognolo and a dessert wine by the name of Grisoglia. The Moretti Cuseri family also owns Orma and Poggio al Lupo in Tuscany and Feudo Maccari and Contrada Santo Spirito di Passopisciaro in Sicily. Dr. Antonio Moretti Cuseri, owner of Tenuta Sette Ponti, with Anthony Dias Blue, Editor-in- Chief of The Somm Journal. Elegance in a Bottle A VERTICAL OF SUPER TUSCAN ORENO FROM TENUTA SETTE PONTI story and photos by Allyson Gorsuch