Grape blend: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
Aged: 24 months, partly in Tonneaux, partly in oak casks
Alcohol content: 14.5% vol
Acidity: 5.1 g/l
Residual sugars: 0.25 g/l
In Tuscany, Sangiovese isn’t just a variety of grape... it also represents tradition, identity, the pride of farming people and excellence. In particular in certain areas, this grape, with its rustic soul, reveals itself to be elegant and refined. This is the case in La Vialla’s Capannelle vineyards, in the Maremma, where everything – soil, location, climate – helps ensure that this quintessential red Tuscan reveals its “blue blood”, that’s to say its noble, potent side! In 2021, late frost in April made a natural selection of the grapes; the ones that survived, rich in sugars and polyphenols, were perfect for “l’Abbandonato„ Riserva, a prestigious wine that is capable of ageing and improving as time goes by. To curb the marked tannin content, fermentation took place at a lower temperature than usual (23 °C), with frequent pumping over to preserve the wine’s acidic freshness. The period of ageing lasted 24 months, in both Slavonian oak casks and tonneaux that had already been used once. The wine underwent simple filtration with a coarse meshed filter before being bottled, after which it aged for another 12 months before it was ready for the table... where, despite its name (“l’Abbandonato” literally means the abandoned) it will now find a host of friends and admirers.
Tasting – Colour: intense purple red, with garnet hues in the rim that become more pronounced as it evolves. The nose: smoky notes and an elegant hint of sweet tobacco, combined with mineral nuances and the dark richness of very ripe plums. In the mouth: it envelops the palate with a silky, velvety fullness; the wine’s roundness isn’t due to sugar, but to its natural abundance of polysaccharides. It has a long, persistent, fragrant finish.
Wine and Food Pairing – A rich and aromatic wine like this is good on its own. However, if it does seek company, it choses the strong flavour of a Fiorentina T-bone steak, braised beef in red wine with caramelised onions, and first courses such as risotto with sausage or with Porcini mushrooms (or for special occasion, with truffle). It’s also excellent with very mature pecorino cheese, such as a “Gran Riserva”.