Product Description
Toscana IGT
Varieties
Largely Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, with a touch of Petit Verdot.
The Vineyard
The Cru that is the symbol of Nipozzano Castle, born of the Mormoreto vineyard planted in 1976.
The Mormoreto vineyard is situated in a small enclave south-east of the estate, where different soils and microclimate conditions coexist and perfectly comply with the present varieties.
ESTATE AND VINEYARD LOCATION: Mormoreto vineyard, Pelago
ALTITUDE from 250m to 300m (from 820 to 985 feet)
VINEYARD SIZE 25 Ha in the Mormoreto vineyard (61 Acres)
EXPOSURE South
SOIL TYPE 1) terrain rich in sand, well drained. Fair presence of calcium. PH neutral or slightly alkaline. 2) terrain of limstone, rich in clay and very well supplied with calcium. “White” grounds. Rich in surface stones, PH alkaline.
PLANTING DENSITY Over 5,800 vines per hectare
TRAINING SYSTEM Spurred cordon.
The Harvest
The winter of 2012 was marked by severe temperatures, which even dipped below 0oC in January, and by significant snowfalls in February. A cool spring, with rainfall occurring throughout the entire period, built up groundwater reserves in the vineyards, ensuring adequate water for the vines, particularly during the summer heat, when the vine’s foliage is at its maximum extent and the grapes begin to turn colour and ripen. Summer was, in fact, hot and dry, marked by days whose temperatures rose above 35°C, but also by very cool nights, which determines and maximises the aromatic development of the grapes. The silt-loam soils in which the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grow contribute to these varieties’ balanced, even ripening process, achieving its culmination in the late-September harvest. The early-ripening Merlot, on the other hand, was harvested in late August, when the grapes had accumulated good levels of sugar and the tannins in the seeds were fully ripe.
The Cellar
LENGTH OF MACERATION ON THE SKINS Each variety ferments and macerates separately for 35 days in stainless steel at temperatures below 35°C (95°F), followed by 20 days of maceration on the skins.
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION Immediately following initial fermentation
MATURATION METHOD Hand-split oak barrels, partly new and partly once-used
LENGTH OF MATURATION 24 months in partly new and partly once-used oak barrels, followed by a further 6 months in the bottle.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME 14%
BOTTLE FORMATS Half Bollte 0,375l – Bottle 0,750l – 1,5 Magnum – 3,0 Doppio Magnum – 6,0 Imperiale – 18,0 Melchior
Awards
JAMESSUCKLING.COM 93 Points
WINE SPECTATOR 93 Points
