Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The Merlot comes from the “Casarsa” vineyard, part of approximately 6.9 hectares replanted in 1967 after the flood of 1966 had washed away some of the estate’s vineyards.
Ageing
The wine rests for at least 24 months in 225-litre French oak barriques.
Tasting profile
The aroma is appealing and clearly expresses the variety. The wine has a firm structure.
Label / history
The vineyard was planted by mistake. Following the 1966 flood, Sebastiano Capponi’s father ordered new plantings of Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Malvasia and Canaiolo. Because the flood had destroyed the labels identifying the vines, the workers unknowingly planted other varieties as well.
For 30 years, the vines in the vineyard known as “Casarsa” were believed to be Malvasia Nera. In 1996, Sebastiano worked with an ampelographer from the University of Florence, who identified them as Merlot. Although Sebastiano had not intended to plant international varieties, he retained the vineyard because its Merlot had acquired a distinctly local character and found a place in Chianti—a quality expressed by the Tuscan term “Chianteggia.”
