About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The organically farmed Fornace vineyard is in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in southeastern Montalcino, facing the Monte Amiata mountain range. Brunello DOCG rules require vineyards to occupy sunny hillsides at no more than 600 m above sea level, promoting ripeness before harvest.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested at full ripeness and sorted on a table at the winery, where the bunches are selected. Fermentation and maceration take place in concrete vats for 25–90 days, with regular manual pumping over. The wine is then gently pressed off the skins.
Ageing
The wine matures for 36 months in 25 hL Slavonian oak casks. It is bottled without filtration or fining and with only a minimal addition of sulfur.
Vintage notes
In Tuscany, the cold, wet winter of 2015 was followed by heavy spring rain, allowing the soils to accumulate moisture reserves for the hot summer. Daytime temperatures were often very high, while cool nights protected the grapes from damaging heat stress. Rain returned in August, followed shortly by hail that significantly damaged the vines. The surviving fruit, particularly Sangiovese, gave impressive results. Harvest continued throughout September, with yields reduced by the heat and hail. The vintage was excellent overall, with its strongest wines combining considerable power and elegance.
