Poggio a' Venti Massa Vecchia 2020

“Poggio A’ Venti” created in the Massa Vecchia winery represents the work of Francesca Sfrondini, the very young winemaker to whom the owner Fabrizio Niccolaini, who retired to live a new experience in the mountains, had left the reins of the estate between 2009 and 2019. A noble red of rare availability, vinified in just a few hundred bottles each year.

The Sangiovese with which Massa Vecchia brings to life “Poggio A’ Venti” comes from a vineyard planted in 2003 and covering just over 1 hectare at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. The vines are cultivated according to the ancient bush training system, on soils composed of a clay substrate of varying depth and soils characterized by the presence of travertine and limestone rock. The vineyard has a density of about 5,000 plants per hectare and is managed according to a completely natural philosophy, eliminating the use of any synthetic products. The harvest is done by hand, with collection in small crates and very limited yields. The winemaking operations follow the same non-interventionist idea, with spontaneous fermentation carried out by indigenous yeasts in open chestnut truncated-conical tanks. The aging is entrusted to used oak barrels and lasts for at least 30 months. A final resting in bottle lasts for 6 months, without any filtration, clarification, stabilization, or addition of sulfur.

“Poggio A’ Venti” from the Massa Vecchia winery presents itself visually with a garnet red color, illuminated by ruby reflections. The nose is complex and surprisingly deep, announced by dark fruit aromas and wild berries, shifting to tertiary notes of tobacco and sweet spices, while the frame describes wild sensations of earth and damp shadow. The sip is vibrant with freshness and a persistent saline trail that recalls all the Mediterranean character of the Tuscan coast, full of blended tannins and lively with a rustic verve. Sangiovese of other times and an unmissable companion for game-based dishes.