A magical scene: two miles along a dirt track in the middle of nowhere,
Tuscany. A roadside clue informs you that you are near your destination
and you make a left turn. Suddenly the garrigue gives way to immaculate
olive groves and the rolling hills of Tuscany offer their finest product:
the vine. The 15th Century U-shaped farmhouse, La Rosola is spectacular.
Acquired in 1999 by Gottfried Schmitt and his wife Carmen Vieytes, it
has been spectacularly restored and a vineyard planted, mainly to Sangiovese
with a smattering of international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Syrah. However, there are only 2 hectares of vines, producing only
around 5,000 bottles in total. This means that every vine, each barrel
and, ultimately, every bottle of wine released receives a disproportionately
high level of care. And it shows. It is almost unheard of to produce wines
of this quality with good intensity and great finesse from such a young
vineyard but Gottfried and his team have succeeded well. The vineyard
quality is similar to the renowned Montalcino with rich clay soils which
form a hard crust in the hot summer months locking the humidity into the
ground. High in the hills, the vineyard benefits from steady breezes which
keep the vines healthy. The vineyard is maintained immaculately with 50%
green crop reduction and rigorous selection helping to ensure the very
best possible fruit is transformed into wine. Essentially there are two
wines: "Crescendo" is pure Sangiovese and gives out a warmth
that suggests a Tuscan sunset. "Corpo Notte" is a classic Super-Tuscan
blend of 65% Sangiovese, the rest made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Syrah. A bigger, more brooding wine which evokes the Tuscan night.
New barriques are used for ageing the wines for 12-16 months but wines
are released only when they are deemed ready. Perfectionism has never
come so reasonably priced as this!
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