Le Cinciole. Camalaione

Toscana IGT
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah

2019 was a hot vintage, one which suits this style of wine: ripe cassis, damson and violet laced fruit, all held in check by a strong, tannic backbone.  Unmistakenly Tuscan, the Syrah and Merlot softening the austerity of high altitude Cabernet.  A great wine.  15%

Le Cinciole producer page

Camalaione, ‘light and dark’, a true oddball at Le Cinciole where every other bottle is an uncompromising Sangiovese.  There are just 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon vines which were planted at a high density (9000 vines per hectare) on a typical galestro mix of clay, limestone and schists over Pietraforte bedrock, the famous sandstone that built ancient Firenze.  The terroir and density has caused some stress and the vines have been forced to send their roots deep, each vine gives just 500 grams of fruit each year.  
The harvest is by hand and the bunches destemmed and sorted before a spontaneous fermentation in tonneaux, and small vats with regular manual bâtonnage.  This wine is aged on the lees for 2 years in used barriques, then another year in a concrete tank before bottling without filtration.