Tenuta Carleone di Castiglione, located in Chianti Classico's Radda in Chianti, is the fruit of the vision of an Austrian entrepreneur - Karl Egger -- and the winemaking skills and regional knowledge of an English expat -- Sean O' Callaghan.
Egger and his family were regular visitors to Chianti and eventually decided to start a winery. Towards that end he bought a 100-ha property comprised of wooded hills, small rivers, and fertile plains. For the winemaking effort he was put in touch with Sean O'Callaghan, who was, at the time, working with another producer in the area. The winery was launched in 2012.
The focus is Sangiovese and 7 ha of the estate has been set aside for growth of the variety. The vineyards sit on a mix of limestone, sandstone, and compacted shale soils.
Sean's farming philosophy revolves around organic and biodynamic principles with most of the property organic; or in the process of being so. As regards winemaking, he is non-interventionist, opts for long macerations, and eschews fining and filtration.
The estate produces three 100% Sangiovese wines (Uno, Il Guercio, and Chianti Classico); one Sangiovese dominant wine (Due; 95% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot); a Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend (Il Randagio); a 100% Alicante Bouschet (Tinto); and a Sangiovese Rosato.
I recently tasted the 2020 Il Guercio as well as the 2019 Uno.
The Il Guercio is made from Sangiovese grapes sourced from the 700-m asl Mello vineyard in Gaiole in Chianti. Grapes are late-picked and fermented in steel and cement tanks with 20% whole bunches. The wine is macerated for 4 months and aged in steel and cement tanks for 12 months.
The wine had a complex nose with lifted aromatics. Beeswax, red and black pepper, green herbs, dark cherry, baking spices, and ginger. An altogether pleasing nose. Red cherries and a biting acidity courses down the spine of the palate to a spicy, persistent finish. Medium weight and whole-palate-engaging. Non-aggressive tannins. Youthful but not unpleasantly so. Boatloads of post-tannin promise.
The 2019 Uno showed very sweet red fruit, beeswax, lifted aromatics, forest floor, depth, vanilla, sawdust, fresh wood chips, red pepper, and a savoriness. Elegant. Acidity and red fruit on the palate. Broad. Persistent. Metallic, with green tannins. Long, woody finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment