Asinone 2019

Cette sélection provient du vignoble Asinone, situé au sud de Montepulciano, en Toscane, sur le versant sud à sud-ouest de la route menant vers Torrita di Siena. Implantées entre 380 et 400 mètres d’altitude, les vignes évoluent sur des sols argilo-limoneux caillouteux. Elles donnent naissance à un Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG où le Prugnolo Gentile, nom local du sangiovese, exprime profondeur, fraîcheur et finesse territoriale.

Les raisins sont vendangés manuellement en cagettes, puis font l’objet d’un second tri manuel au chai. La fermentation se déroule à température contrôlée en cuves inox durant 20 à 25 jours. Le vin est ensuite élevé de 16 à 18 mois en tonneaux de chêne français, afin d’affiner sa structure et d’apporter une touche boisée intégrée.

Ce vin dévoile des notes de griotte, de prune rouge, de cassis, de framboise, de violette séchée, de cacao, de café, de cannelle, d’herbes sauvages, de menthe, de sous-bois et de pierre humide. La bouche est ample et dense, soutenue par une fraîcheur énergique et une trame de tanins veloutés mais bien présents. La finale, persistante et savoureuse, mêle fruits noirs, nuances balsamiques et minéralité.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how hard it is to understand how its wine is organised! The key to understanding Italy's appellation system is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single uniform one, since each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially renowned names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let us talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy goes back to the most distant antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions already stood out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "south of the boot" enjoys a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a great variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its land. It is a country just as complex as its wines, and well worth exploring!