Podere Il Castellaccio Bolgheri Rosso Superiore 2021

Podere Il Castellaccio, the Tuscan estate of Alessandro Scappini, makes this Superiore in Bolgheri DOC, the coastal appellation known for Cabernet led reds. The blend pairs Cabernet Franc with Pugnitello, a recovered native grape, farmed organically. Bolgheri's proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea moderates temperature and brings maritime breezes, while the gravel, sand and clay soils drain freely and lend the wines a graphite minerality and the herbal, leafy lift typical of Cabernet Franc. Low yields concentrate the small berries. The wine spends around twelve months in oak barrels followed by twelve months in amphora, where the neutral clay allows micro-oxygenation and slow tannin softening without adding wood flavour, preserving the bright fruit and aromatic precision of the grapes. The colour is deep ruby. The nose offers red currant, plum, cracked pepper and dried herbs over tobacco and earth. The palate is structured and fresh, the tannins firm but fine, with a long savoury, mineral finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour before. It suits roasted and grilled red meat and game.