The wine is obtained through a careful selection of grapes of a single variety, Sangiovese, harvested by hand in the Montesodi vineyard at Castello di Nipozzano in the Rufina zone. The vineyard, owned by the wine house, is situated at an altitude of about 350 meters (1,148 ft.) and exposed to the southwest. The average age of the vines is 26 years and they are planted in a density of 3,000 per hectare (1,214 an acre). They grow in arid and stony terrain that is well drained and contains albarese, clay and limestone but little organic substance. After a soft pressing, the must is allowed to ferment for 14 days in stainless steel containers. The wine is in contact with the skins for about a month, including the period of fermentation. The wine is regularly pumped over the cap to assure the most complete extraction of color and the softest tannins. Malolactic fermentation in oak barriques, a third of them new, immediately follows alcoholic fermentation. Maturation lasts 12 months and bottling is carried out without filtration. The wine is fined in the bottle for about 12 months.
The color is a dark, intense and concentrated ruby red with limited transparency. The aromas show excellent acuteness with sweet and appealing scents of vanilla in combination with fresh, mint-like sensations splendidly fused with hints of ripe fruit such as plums and red currants. The impact in the mouth is balanced and well-rounded with an outstanding balance between alcohol and tannins, which are present but not dominant. A finish of excellent acuteness, profound, full and highly persistent.
