Fattoria Resta, Martin Del Nero, Orcia 2006

Just had the pleasure for the first time of drinking the Martin Del Nero Orcia 2006 from Fattoria Resta. This is a small, single vineyard production from Buonconvento (just north of Montalcino), and the wine just blew me away. I am not even sure where I bought this bottle (somewhere in Florence) and I have been saving it for some time, so it was a total surprise. The wine has to be considered medium bodied for an all sangiovese, but it is loaded up front with raspberry and dark red fruits, has spicy undertones, a balanced mid palate, and is extremely smooth and clean on the finish. This is the most excited I have been with a bottle of wine I bought blind (without prior tasting or knowledge) in several years. The production is very small, about 4,500 bottles I think, and the current vintage in stores is probably the 2007 - but if you can find a 2006 I highly recommend it. A lovely bottle of wine that truly deserves to be sought out.

The winemaker is Anna Lisa Tempestini, and she is on the web in a couple of spots - a blog and a website. It seems the wine is imported by Winebow but I am not sure what kind of distribution it has in the U.S.