13 Tuscans – Just 14 Guests
Journey through Tuscany with 13 standout wines. A tasting for lovers of all things Tuscany - with Yasmeen Jansen MW
13 Tuscans – Just 14 Guests
Journey through Tuscany with 13 standout wines. A tasting for lovers of all things Tuscany.
The Producers:
Babo | Boscarelli | Brancaia | Carpineta Fontalpino
Gaja | Il Marroneto | Isole e Olena | Istine
Pian delle Vigne [Marchese Antinori] | Poggio Brigante |Tenuta Le Calcinaie
Monday, May 11th
Session 1: Tuscany
Hosted By Yasmeen Jansen, MW
Extended Masterclass:
6:30-8:30pm | 13 Wines & substantial canapés followed by a main course | $235
The special and gorgeous Master of Wine - Yasmeen Jansen
Host and Master of Wine: Yasmeen Jansen
Yasmeen Jansen MW is a specialist medical practitioner, and the development of her expertise in wine began with her involvement in tasting groups with colleagues. Her love affair with wine was cemented when she lived in Italy for two years, during which time she developed an affinity for, and in-depth knowledge of, Italian wines. Yasmeen's passion is for wine education and appreciation, and this has inspired her MW journey. Tastings led by Yasmeen are fun and informative and involve a deeper exploration of the varieties and regions covered.
About the Master of Wine Title
The Master of Wine qualification indicates that the title recipient has completed the toughest series of examinations on viticulture, wine making styles and techniques, all wine regions, and all pluses and minuses in the marketing of these wines on planet. Then added to this is the requirement for an extraordinary ability to discern the bouquet & flavour nuances caused by the factors above which indicate the wine’s variety, age, wine making techniques used, regions, quality, hygiene and seasonal variations.
Thousands of young wine people from all over the world, from dozens of countries, start the courses each year but perhaps only 8-15 per year worldwide graduate. There are only about 380 Masters of Wine worldwide.
The title MW is the greatest imprimatur or recognition that the wine world can give to its most able students.
After 50 years of Master of Wine graduates there are just 2 in Western Australia and perhaps 24 in Australia.
The Tuscany Wine Region
The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the 8th century BC, when the Etruscans first settled the region. Amphora remnants show that Tuscan wine was exported as far as southern Italy and Gaul by the 7th century BC, and by the 3rd century BC, Greek writers were already remarking on its quality. A wine merchants' guild was established in Florence in 1282, and many of the wines recognisable today — Chianti, Brunello, Trebbiano, and Vernaccia — can be traced to the 14th century.
Tuscany is now one of the most famous wine regions in Europe, best known for its Sangiovese-based dry reds, which include Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Nearly two-thirds of Tuscany's vineyards are planted with Sangiovese, the region's most important grape. Wines made from Sangiovese are typically medium- to full-bodied, dry, and highly acidic, with flavours of plum, cherry, tobacco, and leather.
Tuscany's signature appellations include Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Bolgheri DOC, alongside the acclaimed Super Tuscans. In the 1970s, a new class of wines known as "Super Tuscans" emerged, made outside DOC/DOCG regulations but considered of exceptional quality and commanding high prices. Notable Super Tuscans include Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello, and Le Pergole Torte, which predominantly use the Toscana IGT designation to permit non-indigenous varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Tuscany holds 11 DOCGs, 41 DOCs, and 6 IGTs, and ranks among Italy's top three regions for wine exports, with 70% of production sold internationally — primarily to the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The climate is temperate, with hot summers and rainfall concentrated in autumn and winter; the undulating landscape mitigates damaging spring frosts and maximises sun exposure for Sangiovese.
The Wine List and Menu
Italian #1: Tuscany
1st Bracket
2024 Poggio Brigante Vermentino
2023 Tenuta Le Calcinae 2023 Vernaccia di San Gimignano
2nd Bracket
2023 Babo Chianti
2021 Poggio Brigante Morellino di Scansano 'Poggio Brigante'
2024 Carpineta Fontalpino Chianti Colli Sinesi
3rd Bracket
2023 Pian Delle Vigne Rosso di Montalcino
A youthful medium red hue, the 2023 Rosso Di Montalcino is expressive and ripe out of the gate, with notes of baked red cherries, leather, and balsamic herbs. Plush and inviting, the palate is ripe with pliant tannins and medium to full-bodied richness. It's delightful now and will drink well over the coming 5-6 years.
90 Points, Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com (January 2025)
2021 Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva
The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is a classic Brancaia wine. Dark, resonant and layered in the glass, the 2021 shows off its notable depth in style. Hints of mocha, new leather and brown spice all meld together in this decidedly sumptuous, textured Riserva.
91 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2024)
2021 Istine ‘Vigna Istine’ Gran Selezione DOCG
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Istine is laced with hints of lavender, mint, blue/purplish fruit and spice. This offers a striking interplay of Radda energy with a bit more mid-palate richness and overall textural intensity than the Casanova dell’Aia. This is such a vibrant, explosive wine.
97 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (June 2024)
4th Bracket
2021 Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
The 2021 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a total pleasure to the senses, with a perfumed bouquet of wilted violet and lavender tones, a dusting of spices and dried strawberry scents. This is cool-toned and fresh, with pretty wild berry fruits and crunchy mineral notes elevated by a tinge of sour citrus. Giving, yet long and gently tannic, this finishes with a resonance of blackberry and hints of spice. The 2021 is delicate yet impactful.
92 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous (February 2025)
92 Points, Michaela Morris, Decanter (February 2024)
2020 Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello has enjoyed a run of successful vintages, culminating in the beautiful generosity and succulence of the 2019s, however Il Marroneto is one of the few estates to improve on that with their 2020. Cherries infused with florals accompany succulent plummy fruits with an undercurrent of youthful creaminess. Fine-grained tannins lurk in the background, refusing to steal the thunder from a biting, zesty blood orange finish. Wonderful stuff.
97 Points, James Button, Decanter (Nov 2025)
96 Points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (November 2024)
96 Points, Eric Guido, Vinous (February 2025)
2021 Gaja Ca Marcanda Magari
Pouring a deep matte red color, the 2021 Magari is the most noble and complete of the wines in this tasting and lifts with layered notes of graphite, kirsch, lavender oil, and sweet Mediterranean herbs. Full and complex, it fills the senses with velvety tannins and mouthwatering saltiness. It’s harmonious and quite profound in this vintage, exceeding the quality of the 2019. It really shows the pedigree and complexity that this wine can display and is fantastic now but is going to age slowly if stored properly over the coming 25-30 years. A highlight in this vintage, it should have been on my top lists.
98 Points, Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com (March 2025)
94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (August 2023)
16.5++ Points, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com (March 2024)
2018 Mazzei Siepi Toscana IGT
Mid shaded garnet. Much paler than more recent vintages. Sweet Sangiovese! Sangiovese dominates and Merlot just fills in the holes. Fun! Just a bit dusty on the end.
17 Points, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com (March 2024)
5th Bracket
2010 Isole e Olena Vin Santo
This wine is a labour of love made only by the most tenacious and passionate producers in Tuscany. The Isole e Olena 2010 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (in a 375-milliliter bottle) is beautifully balanced and offers a rush of candied fruit aromas and honey with hints of the smoky elegance that comes with time. On top of apricot, brown sugar and maple syrup, this Vin Santo offers unique complexity with aniseed, beeswax and toasted cardamom pod. The mouthfeel is equally finessed with a soft texture and, surprise, a wonderful dose of freshness. That acidity is the wine's ace card. This is one of the best Vin Santos I have tasted.
97 Points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (May 2023)
18 Points, Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com (May 2023)