PODERE SANTA MARIA
Toscana Rosso 2021
Tuscany, Italy
An everyday Sangiovese for the table, from one of the masters of the grape. From a vineyard planted over volcanic soils at an elevation of five hundred metres above sea level, not far from Montalcino in Monte Amiata. It spends a fortnight on skins, before being pressed off to old casks for nine months of rest. This cooler vintage has produced a lifted, perfumed take on the grape that pairs flavours of red cherry, balsamic and herbs to beautiful effect.
Sangiovese
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Marino Colleoni’s winemaking journey began when he and wife Luisa discovered a patch of old vines buried under shrubs on Montalcino’s northern reaches while taking an evening walk.
They spent the next few years clearing away at the undergrowth and to their surprise a rather detailed vineyard lay beneath. After replanting some of the damaged vines, they harvested for the first time in 2000.
At 470-500 metres above sea level their vineyards are some of the highest in Montalcino and unusually, face almost entirely north. They are surrounded by forest, well ventilated and planted over a complex mix of sand, limestone and volcanic rock. A visionary in the area, Marino really values biodiversity and is seeking to reduce the use of any compounds in the vineyard entirely, instead relying on natural predators of any bugs or disease.
These unique characteristics yield wines from Montalcino which are uncommonly detailed, mineral and fine and in the cantina Marino exercises a considered restraint, letting the wines truly sing.
In recent years, he has also rented a number of organic vineyards from further afield, where he makes the kind of easygoing wines he and Luisa like to drink on their terrace everyday.