Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from two Montebamboli vineyards: a 21-year-old parcel facing south and a 10-year-old parcel facing west. Both lie in the hills of the Colline Metallifere, within a natural park of approximately 7,000 hectares overlooking the Val di Cornia, around 10 km from the Tyrrhenian coast. Mediterranean scrub—including holm oak, cork oak, broom and strawberry tree—surrounds the vineyards. The well-ventilated area receives approximately 700 mm of rainfall annually and has a cool microclimate. Acidic soils and the maritime setting shape the wine’s light, energetic style.
The vines are trained to spur-pruned cordon at a density of 7,500 vines per hectare.
Grapes
100% Cabernet Franc.
Vinification
Harvest takes place by hand during the second ten-day period of September. Bunches are carefully selected in the vineyard, then kept overnight in a cold room at 5°C. After destemming, the berries undergo optical sorting. Whole berries move into the vats by gravity. Fifteen percent of the finest and ripest fruit is retained as whole bunches and placed first in the fermentation tank.
Fermentation takes place in 7.5-tonne stainless-steel tanks at 22–26°C. Extraction is deliberately gentle, using very short daily pump-overs. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine remains on the skins for a 20-day warm maceration to encourage tannin polymerisation.
Ageing
Half of the wine matures for 10 months in first-use French oak barriques, while the other half remains in concrete tanks. Following blending, the complete lot spends another four months in concrete before bottling, followed by six months of bottle ageing.
Tasting profile
Bright ruby red. The nose combines redcurrant and wild strawberry with cinchona bark and white pepper, followed by cocoa and graphite. Broader varietal nuances include raspberry, sage and green tea. The palate is intense yet ethereal, slender and juicy, with crisp tannins, freshness and an agile drinking rhythm. Balsamic and red-fruit elements converge in a fresh, graphite-toned and subtly chocolate-like finish. Partial oak ageing frames the wine while preserving its natural energy and dynamism.
