While August imports' tendency is to work with single estates, every now and again we come across a truly outstanding co-op like the Cantina del Morellino. They are a family-owned, interconnected network of exceedingly small growers, virtually all of them multi-generational and married to the land. With an average of just 4 hectares apiece, each of the 170 participating farmers treats their vines with the utmost reverence. Harvest times are micromanaged by their agronomist, and chief enologist Paolo Caciorgna, a native Tuscan, keeps personal tabs on all sites. This allows him to direct specific parcels to an array of smaller projects, and to trace the origins of any given wine. On top of all this, the Cantina is wholly devoted to sustainable farming - even when the word ‘organic’ does not appear on the label - and their yields in some cases drop down to 1 bottle per plant (incredibly low for a co-op).

The hilltop town of Scansano lies about 15 minutes inland from Tuscany’s SW coastline – roughly halfway between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the extinct volcano, Mount Amiata. While hilly and fairly high in altitude, this area has a long history of agricultural development (pasture, olive and vine), and is therefore a little less wild and rugged than other parts of the Maremma. Drenched in sunlight, Scansano shares the same latitude as central Abruzzo (think La Quercia), and the Sangiovese from this region tends to be a bit fruitier than further north. Sweeter tannins and riper, darker cherry components help define the red wines, not least of all when the Morellino clone of Sangiovese comes into play. Historically speaking, Scansano was first inhabited by the Etruscans, followed by the Romans and eventually the Grand Dukes of Lorraine, who vacationed each summer in the town's gorgeous, storybook landscape.