Grape blend: Pinot Nero
Aged: 48 months in barriques
Alcohol content: 14.5% vol
Acidity: 5.6 g/l
Residual sugars: 0.62 g/l
In Tuscany, you don’t often come across a red wine made with 100% Pinot Nero, a grape variety from the north that feels perfectly at home at La Vialla. This is thanks to the 400-metre altitude of the Casa Rossa vineyard, the stony soil rich in minerals, and the biodynamic cultivation methods. 2020 was a year that marked a clear turning point from a climatic point of view, the first of the scorching summers with very little rainfall. The bunches were generally small with grapes rich in polyphenols, while those picked in the lower part of the vineyard were plump, with fragrant, acidic juice. The blend, during fermentation, achieved perfect balance... with lengthy maceration and brief pump-overs to mix the skins and liquid. After devatting, solely the prized free-run liquid was destined to become part of the cuvée and went into barriques, which had already been used, in order to give aromatic richness rather than an overly invasive taste of vanilla. After 48 months of ageing, the base wines were “assembled”, followed by a further period in concrete vats for them to blend. The wine was then bottled and remained in the cellar for another 4 months. In 2020, 8,000 bottles were produced, each one is numbered.
Tasting – Colour: dark purple red with garnet highlights. The nose: intense, ample aromas of coffee, liquorice and above all cigar box. Notes of vanilla are present but discreet, and the finish has a slightly balsamic hint reminiscent of the woods around the vineyard. In the mouth: soft but with significant tannic structure; the finish is persistent... infinite.
Wine and Food Pairing – Ideal on its own, as a “meditation wine”. At the table, it can accompany structured dishes and strong flavours such as braised duck, Chianina beef cheek with caramelised onions, rabbit cooked “hunter style”, or beef stew with prunes and chocolate. It’s also excellent with mature cheeses, such as a Pecorino Gran Riserva.