JBF Wine Notes: Santa Cristina Vin Santo Valdichiana
By Alix Osborn
Photo of JBF dinner dessert paired with Santa Cristina Vin Santo Valdichiana 2008, courtesy of FUA
Alix Osborn, the 2014 recipient of the Santa Cristina TuttoToscana scholarship, reports on the Vin Santo Valdichiana dessert wine that was paired with the capstone James Beard dinner of our week in NYC.
Apricot, orange blossom, caramel, hazelnut, honey, and creamy finish; these are all flavors and aromas that develop from the classic Tuscan wine called Vin Santo. Vin Santo or “Holy wine,” dubbed by its common use in Holy Communion, is a type of straw wine particular to the region of Tuscany that has been used since the Middle Ages. The term “straw wines” derives from the technique of laying the grapes out on mats of straw after harvest for 3-6 months before fermentation. This allows the concentration of sugars in the grapes to occur, giving more sugar for the yeast to ferment, resulting in higher alcohol content and a wide range of complex flavors. Although, most modern straw wines use specially designed drying mats now-a-days to ensure proper ventilation during the desiccation process, such is the case with the Santa Cristina product.
The grapes used in the Santa Cristina Vin Santo Della Valdichiana, 2008 are primarily Malvasia and Trebbiano, from the vineyards adjacent to La Braccesca estate, and were carefully monitored and picked in sequence according to their level of ripeness. They have been picked directly onto the drying racks to minimize damage, and were left to dry for 5 months. After the drying process they were softly pressed and transferred into oak barrels where they fermented, with specially selected yeast to compliment the sweetness of the wine and the accompaniment of previous vintages’ “madre,” until the alcohol level reached is 17ᵒ. It must be aged at least 2 years in the oak barrels before reaching the market.
The James Beard Foundation, on the night of October 25th, 2014, was filled with excited patrons as the Tutto Toscana team executed a truly remarkable dinner. The meal was accented with Santa Cristina wines in both the beginning and ending. The hors d’oeuvres were paired with both Santa Cristina Cipresseto IGT Rosato 2013 and Santa Cristina La Maestrelle IGT 2012. The Cipresseto Rosato is, as its name suggests, a rosé with sweet floral notes to liven the palate; whereas the Maestrelle has more velvety tannins to foreshadow the flavors yet to come.
To round off the hardy meal, with dishes consisting of fried cod, duck ragout, and beef cheeks, we needed a subtle decrescendo to ease the palate into the dessert. For this we served a marron glacé as the pre-dessert, paired with rosemary and pine nuts. The aromatics of the rosemary and slight saltiness of the nuts help to keep the senses from being shocked when going from a dish as savory as beef cheek into something sweeter. For the main dessert we served a milk chocolate mousse with caramel and praline. Both of these dishes were paired with the Santa Cristina Vin Santo, and it truly shows the versatility of this wine. The development of aromatics and flavors of the wine follows the development of the dessert service. The apricot, orange blossom and dried fruit flavors you get when you first sip vin santo highlight the aromatics of the pre-desert. Just as the flavor begins to develop and you’re finishing up the marron glacé, you begin to sense a caramel, nutty finish to the wine. This finish perfectly accents the praline and the mousse of the main dessert.