Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The vines are 20–50 years old and grow organically on gentle, sunny hills along the Tuscan coast. The alluvial soils contain abundant gravel, sand and silt. The site has a warm microclimate.
Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon forms the basis of the blend. Depending on the vintage, Cabernet Franc may also be included, together with small proportions of Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand into small crates and sorted first in the vineyard and again on a vibrating sorting table at the winery. Healthy fruit retained after selection undergoes traditional vinification. Fermentation starts spontaneously without additives. Maceration lasts 18–24 days, according to the variety and its ripeness. The wine is gently filtered before bottling.
Ageing
The wine matures for 14–18 months in medium-toast French oak barrels of 300 and 500 litres, followed by additional time in concrete tanks.
Tasting profile
Rich and complex, with substantial structure and the capacity to develop over time.
Label / history
First released in 1996, with 3,000 bottles produced, Dulcamara was the winery’s first wine. Its name comes from a character in L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love), the comic opera by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. The name evokes the opera’s themes of love’s sweetness and jealousy’s bitterness, as well as its powerful love potion.
