Grape blend: Pugnitello, Malvasia Nera, Aleatico, Colorino, Sangiovese
Aged: 24 months in Barriques and 6 months in oak casks
Alcohol content: 15% vol
Acidity: 5.18 g/l
Residual sugars: 7 g/l
The five grapes that bring this unusual, opulent, complex red wine to life are ancient Chianti varieties, they grow on the land around La Casotta farmstead. The Sangiovese, Pugnitello and Aleatico are left to dry out until December. They give the wine a subtle sweetness, important aromatic traits and considerable body, all of which are well-balanced by the Malvasia Nera and Colorino, which add significant tannins and just the right acidity. After a rainy spring, the summer of 2018 was hot and sunny and the Viallini dared, for the first time, to leave the grapes for Podere La Casotta on the vines to begin drying out… and it went well! They had high concentrations of sugar, polyphenols and anthocyanins. The blend obtained from the base wines aged for 24 months in barriques, 6 months in casks and then 12 months in the bottle.
Tasting – Colour: it fills the glass with a considerable “weight”, creating lots of purple-red legs. The nose: a treasure chest full of spices, fruit jam and cocoa, blackberries and sweet cherries, roasted coffee, vanilla and liquorice. In the mouth: sweet but robust, with a wealth of soft tannins, tart and velvety at the same time, elegantly sapid and very persistent.
Wine and Food Pairing – Full-bodied and robust, it goes well with slow-cooked (braised, roast, stewed) meat, with sweet-sour meat and vegetable recipes, with first courses such as risotto “alla Milanese” or pappardelle with wild boar sauce… or you can sip it on its own, on winter evenings, in front of a blazing fireplace.
Awards – Gold Medal for the 2018 vintage at the Concours International de Lyon 2024, Lyon, France – 95/100 points for the 2018 vintage at the Wine System International Organic Wine Award 2023, Frasdorf, Germany.