About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes come from young vines planted in rocky soils. These poor soils, the vineyard's proximity to the sea and low yields help the grapes ripen fully and reach a high level of quality. Wild boars are common in the area and live in the woods next to the vineyard, where they sometimes damage the vines. The estate respects nature and does not shoot the boars, which is also prohibited by law; the estate's dogs guard the vineyards.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand and each variety is vinified separately. Skin maceration takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats. It lasts 13–15 days for Cabernet Sauvignon and 14–18 days for Sangiovese.
Ageing
The wine first spends 3–4 months in stainless-steel tanks at 10 °C. It then spends 6–8 months in French oak barriques previously used for Sassicaia and Guidalberto. After this it returns to steel tanks for 20 days at 4–5 °C to stabilise the wine's acids before bottling.
Label / history
"Le Difese" is the estate's "third" wine. The name means "boar's tusks", after the wild boars that have always been common in the area.
