Grape blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Aged: fermented in terracotta amphoras and aged in Barrique barrels for 24 months
Alcohol content: 15% vol
Acidity: 5.36 g/l
Residual sugars: 0.73 g/l
This wine is named after a vineyard situated just a few hundred metres from the “piazzetta” at La Vialla, that, for the first time after 20 years of cultivation, has given us a cru. It is made solely with Cabernet, a mixture of Sauvignon and Franc. In order to favour quality, the average yield is very low: there are approximately 8,000 vines per hectare, each one producing about 500 grammes of grapes. In 2018 the bunches, even though small, had grapes that were plump and full of juice. Vinification was carried out in terracotta amphoras, containing 3 and 5 hl, without controlling the temperature or adding SO2. After racking, the wine completed malolactic fermentation and aged for 24 months in new barriques, before being bottled without undergoing any form of filtration.
Tasting – Colour: deep, intense ruby red, with shimmering violet highlights when young. The flowing consistency opens the door to a hidden, surprisingly ancient world. The nose: intense and complex, it opens with herbal aromas, juniper berries and bay leaf, pine needles and potpourri of dried flowers. Remarkable, seductive emergence of woody spices, vanilla and then cigar and cocoa, which introduce fruity notes of plum and cassis. The finale, with bitter notes of rhubarb and blood orange, is enhanced by a delicately toasted finish. In the mouth: full and enveloping, conveyed by alcoholic softness and enhanced by buttery tannins. It glides elegantly, already well-balanced, in sapid persistence, recalling the fruit in a pleasant aftertaste of cinchona. Summing up the wine in two words: natural longevity.
Wine and Food Pairing – Polenta crostini with “formaggio di fossa“, gnocchi with duck ragu, "Stufato alla Sangiovannese“ (stewed beef shank with lots of spices and herbs, pepper and infinitely long cooking time).