2009 Sassi Chiusi Rosso IGT Toscana
prossima uscita…..coming soon!!
2008 Sassi Chiusi Rosso IGT Toscana
About the wine:
Sassi Chiusi is La Porta di Vertine’s Cabernet Sauvignon –Merlot blend. When the estate was founded, the Vertine and Adine vineyards had already been planted with a few rows of both French grapes, which proved to be of such high quality that grafting over with indigenous varieties didn’t seem to make sense. However, to keep the Chianti Classico as true an expression of the Gaiole terroir, we decided to bottle the tiny quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, some 1500 bottles, and Sassi Chiusi was born.
Although of different origin the grapes were very much treated in the same fashion as for the Chianti Classico and Riserva. Upon arrival in the cellar the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were destemmed but not crushed, and separately fermented by its own natural yeast, without any addition of sulphur. Immediately after fermentation and pressing, both wines were blended and transferred to new oval Austrian oak cask, where it remained for a year on the fine lees without a single racking. This maturation was followed by a year in bottle on the estate.
Grape varieties:
2007 Sassi Chiusi Rosso IGT Toscana
About the wine:
Although no grape variety is more capable of translating the Tuscan terroir into wine with such great precision as Sangiovese, a few ‘outsiders”, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, have shown a remarkable ability to adapt themselves to the local soils and climate. At the time of purchase, the amphitheatre like Vertine vineyard came with several rows of this variety, giving fruit of great elegance. Although the production is truly tiny, the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are vinified and bottled separately.
Made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon originating from the Conca d’Oro vineyard in Vertine and the Campacci vineyard in Adine. Grapes were destemmed but not crushed, and fermented by indigenous yeast in concrete tanks while using very gentle remontage. No sulphur was added at any stage before or during fermentation, after which the wine was racked off in 100% new oak barrels of 500l as well as barrique, where it went through malolactic fermentation.
The wine remained in the new casks for 8 months on the fine lees without any movement, before being racked off in used 25hl tonneaux for an additional eight to ten months.
Before its release, the wine was bottled and matured for 12 months in the cellar.
Grape varieties:
Merlot 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%