Badia di Morrona, Toscana Rosso “N’Antia”

As wines such as “Sassicaia,” “Ornellaia,” and “Paleo” have proved, the Mediterranean coast of Tuscany is more than capable of producing world-class reds from the ‘Bordeaux’ varieties—namely, the Cabernets and Merlot (there’s great Syrah, too, but that’s a conversation for another day). Tuscan takes on Bordeaux-style blends may have once been considered novelties, but today, they are classics.And while the epicenter of the ‘super-Tuscan’ movement is the area around the coastal town of Bolgheri, the stretch of coast extending from Pisa in the north to Grosseto in the south is teeming with serious Cabernet-influenced wine. I’m tempted to use the term “Baby Bolgheri” to describe today’s red from Badia di Morrona, but the only babyish thing about it is its price. Otherwise, this 2013 blend, called “N’Antia,” is grown-up wine through and through, offering real super-Tuscan breed at an exceptionally reasonable price (in addition to becoming established classics, super-Tuscans have also becom