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Sesti Monteleccio & a Recipe for Smoked Duck

Sesti Monteleccio & a Recipe for Smoked Duck

by JR Weaver | From Our Reader’s Table by JR Weaver | From Our Reader’s Table

2023 Toscana Rosso “Monteleccio”

2023 Toscana Rosso “Monteleccio”

Sesti   

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Sesti    Italy   |  Tuscany   |  Toscana IGT

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Thanks to my in-laws, in my early twenties I had the privilege of taking a trip through Tuscany, visiting wineries and enjoying unforgettable cuisine along the way. Perhaps the most memorable part of the trip was tasting with Giuseppe Sesti at the castle of Argiano. Giuseppe struck me as the type of man who treated strangers like he’d known them his whole life—while genially overestimating how much an average Joe like me knows about wine, let alone astrology. His wines and kindness won me over; his belief in the moon’s influence on his winemaking won my wife over.
     Fast forward to over a decade later, and Sesti’s Monteleccio (pictured above with smoked duck, find our recipe here) has been a go-to for us ever since our visit in 2013. My wife and I are just a couple of 30-something-year-old kids with three kids of our own, and we love to host, chef up, and share wine. We don't have an unlimited budget, so the staple wines that we routinely order from Kermit all punch above their price range—although I typically throw in a special bottle or two. What’s awesome about the Monteleccio is it can easily be dressed up or down, kind of like a great pair of Jordans. My wife has a knack for casually whipping up an awesome meal on a random Tuesday after soccer practice… Monteleccio time. I have a habit of accidentally inviting all the neighbors over for a 7-course feast on a Sunday afternoon… Better open up some Monteleccio. You get the idea. Here’s an example of a typical menu for a meal at our place:
• Crudo plate while we grill (hamachi, salmon, tuna, olive oil, salt, greens, peppers) with Tintero Arneis ($14)
• Garlicky roasted potatoes and arugula salad with Domaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris ($20)
• Smoked duck, light lemon pasta with Sesti Monteleccio ($29)

     A pretty stellar lineup for $63 worth of vino! Shoutout to my father-in-law, Will, for teaching the ways of affordable, quality wines (and sneaking in a few special ones, too). And here’s to the late Giuseppe Sesti and the KLWM family who love to host, cook good food, and share good wine. Cheers! —JR Weaver

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About The Region

Tuscany

Map of Tuscany wine region

Perhaps no region is tied to Italy’s reputation as a producer of fine wine as much as Tuscany. Since Etruscan times, viticulture has played a prominent role in this idyllic land of rolling hills, and the Tuscan winemaking tradition remains as strong as ever today. With a favorable Mediterranean climate, an undulating topography offering countless altitudes and expositions, and a wealth of poor, well-draining soils, conditions are ideal for crafting high-quality wines. Add to that the rich gastronomical tradition—Tuscany is home to some of the country’s finest game, pastas, salumi, and cheeses—and you have the blueprint for a world-class wine region.

This is Sangiovese territory; in fact, it is arguably the only place in the world where Sangiovese reaches a truly regal expression. In spite of a rocky history with fluctuations in quality, traditionally produced Chianti has reclaimed its status as one of the country’s most reliable, food-friendly reds, while the rapid rise of Brunello di Montalcino shows the grape’s potential for grandiose, opulent reds allying power and finesse. Traditionally-minded growers have stuck to using only indigenous grape varieties and employing techniques like aging in massive wooden casks known as botti, creating wines of terroir that shine at the Tuscan table.

Tuscan wines have had a place in our portfolio since Kermit’s first visit in 1977. While the names of the estates have changed, the spirit of those first unfiltered Chiantis he imported live on through our current selections.

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Kermit inspecting wine barrels

For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.

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