Rosso 'Primo Fuoco' Fattoria di Sammontana 2022

“Primo Fuoco” is the series of labels that Fattoria di Sammontana dedicates to the land, to the roots from which everything must begin in order to evolve: in the jargon of ceramists, it designates the first firing of the clay, from which the terracotta is originated and can then be transformed into different types of ceramics and majolica. The Rosso is an interpretation of Cabernet Sauvignon in purity.

Rosso “Primo Fuoco” is made by Fattoria di Sammontana through the pure vinification of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that come from a small plot, extending over the domestic size of half a hectare, from the Chianti area of Montelupo Fiorentino, a few kilometers west of Florence and in sight of the course of the Arno, which flows just north. The vines were planted about 40 years ago, on a floodplain soil that is notoriously ungrateful to work, strewn with a skeleton of gravel and pebbles that actually has a lot to do with the maturation and quality of the grapes. Dense with about 3,500 plants per hectare, the plot resides at a altitude between 70 and 150 meters above sea level and is cultivated according to the rules of certified organic farming and the use of biodynamic principles. The harvest is done manually and the yield is extremely limited, equal to 15 hectoliters per hectare. Fermentation is conducted by indigenous yeasts in steel tanks, while aging proceeds for 12 months in 500-liter terracotta amphorae. Without any filtration or invasive manipulations, an additional resting period of a few months in glass closes the cycle within the winery, for an annual production of a few hundred bottles.

The Rosso “Primo Fuoco” by Fattoria Sammontana appears to the eye animated by an intense ruby red. The nose has a broad and rich impact, where the forest scents and small crunchy berries blend with surprising smoky notes. The sip is a concentrate of softness and juiciness with a compulsive drinkability, harmoniously balanced between a decisive freshness and hints of ripe fruit. The pairing calls for bread and homemade cold cuts, the first courses