2022 Clivo Altura 'La Debuttante' Sangiovese Toscana IGT

La Debuttante comes from a single 1.5 acre vineyard in the Chianti Classico village of Panzano. The site’s northwestern exposure at an elevation of 1000 feet, combined with its poor schist and limestone soils produces tiny, concentrated berries. After hand-harvesting, the grapes (including up to 50% whole clusters) are left to macerate with the skins for 24 days. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 16 months in a mix of used barriques. Fewer than 125 cases are produced each vintage.The nose opens with a briary cornucopia of ripe amarena cherries and blackberries, sweet latakia, dried flowers, and Tuscan herbs moving in and out of the foreground as the wine evolves in the glass, all seasoned with a haunting, fleeting suggestion of curry. On the palate, the wine is sleek and focused, with mouth filing, mineral-laced, ripe red berries and sweet plum flavors, all bracketed by savory tannins and beautifully integrated acidity, which carries the flavors through a long elegant finish.