Sant'Agnese. Sangiovese 'Libatio'

Toscana IGT
Grape: Sangiovese (clone Brunello 42)

Beautifully defined red cherry and spiced fruit aromas, it is loaded with rich brambly, damson fruit, with cinnamon, nutmeg, freshened with ripe basil.  The tannins are soft and mature, this is a big wine, amazingly fresh, totally delicious.

Link to Sant'Agnese Producer page

Libatio is Paolo’s pure Sangiovese, his interpretation of Tuscany’s great vine.  The name Libatio means an offering of food to the moon and the label reflects this sentiment.  It is made from 15 year old vines planted in the curve of the hill on a mixture of clays and small stones, a typical Tuscan galestro.  The yield is around 4 tons of per hectare. 

The Sangiovese is hand-picked, fermentation is in open steel and concrete tanks with regular punching down of the cap*.  The temperature is held at around 25˚C and lasts around ten days.  The wine is then allowed to settle naturally and decanted into (second passage*) Allier* barrique where it completes malolactic* conversion and matures for 2 years.