Cecchi La Mora Maremma Toscana 2015

As we saw time and time again last year, great Tuscan bargains can be found if you know where to look– and right now, there’s no hotter neighborhood in Tuscany than its third largest DOC, Maremma.

There in the warm sun drenched vineyards along the Southern Tuscan Coast the wine regulations are a bit looser, attracting some of the country’s best winemakers to experiment with different varietals and combinations, hell bent on making the best wines possible.

In the miracle 2015 vintage in Tuscany, one that Italy’s most famous wine consultant, Carlo Ferrini called, “the greatest vintage of my career” both the tiny finds and the big usual “Aaia” suspects all produced some of their best work ever. The enologist has been a big part of the Maremma movement, consulting for as many as a dozen wineries in a single vintage! in the new region that was compared in the early 2000’s to the California gold rush of the 1840’s.

Millions of dollars have been pumped into the region with wines ranging anywhere from $10 to $300/bottle in the region. But if you’re looking for the top rated under $25 Maremma from the 2015 vintage in Tuscany, look no further than today’s 92pt La Mora Toscana from Cecci, which won’t cost you a penny over $13/btl today (not a misprint!).

The Cabernet blend, cut off of mediterranean quartz soils, provides a wonderful dark fruited, chocolatey mix that Wine Spectator’s former Italian Editor in Chief, James Suckling called “serious richness”. It’s a crazy food friendly wine, but I wouldn’t waste my time pairing this with a salad, this has pizza wine written all over it.

At today’s price, it shouldn’t need convincing, just some space cleared in the wine fridge.