We’re in the Maremma area, in the small zone of the Montecucco DOC, in a special soil, a gift from the nearby Amiata volcano. In 2018 the vines gave wonderful bunches of Sangiovese with skins full of polyphenols, perfectly ripe Syrah and Cabernet packed with tannins and colour. They were picked at different times, when it was “their” right moment, and fermented separately. The subsequent 12 months of ageing – for the Sangiovese, in barrels of Slavonian oak and for the other grapes in Barrique and Tonneaux barrels – “mellows” the intense and full-bodied character. Colour: ruby red, intense, vivid and so dark that it doesn’t reflect the light. The nose: sweet spice and black pepper with slight balsamic notes; small forest fruits in the finish, a hint of smoke. In the mouth: rich and dry, slightly tannic in its young phase, it becomes much mellower as it ages in the bottle.