Volpaia farms high in the hills above Radda in Chianti, in the part of Tuscany where Sangiovese keeps its acidity and its grip. This is the estate's broader Toscana IGT bottling, a Sangiovese-led red from the 2016 vintage, made to be opened without ceremony and still taste of the place it came from.
- Sangiovese, Tuscany's own red grape.
- Toscana IGT, the region's flexible appellation.
- 2016, a strong vintage across Tuscany.
- 13% alcohol, medium body, dry.
- High acidity, medium tannin.
How it is made
Toscana IGT is the catch-all appellation for Tuscan wines that fall outside the stricter DOCG rules, which lets a producer blend across varieties and sites rather than tie everything to one zone. Sangiovese is the backbone of red winemaking here, and it holds its acidity even in warm years, which is why Tuscan reds stay fresh where other grapes go soft.
How it tastes
Red cherry and dried herbs first, then leather and a damp earth note that comes up as the wine sits. The tannins are firm but not aggressive, and the acidity is high enough to keep the fruit lifted rather than heavy. Medium in body, dry through to the finish.
Where it comes from
Volpaia sits in the Chianti hills north of Siena, at altitude, where the growing season runs cooler than on the valley floor. That diurnal swing between warm days and cold nights is what preserves the aromatics and the acid in Sangiovese. The 2016 growing season was a good one in Tuscany, with a dry summer and a settled harvest.
Good to know
Sangiovese is Italy's most planted red grape, but it mutates easily, and dozens of distinct clones are grown across Tuscany. The grape's thin skins are why it rarely gives deep colour, and why the wines lean on acidity and tannin rather than weight.
Contains alcohol.
