Capezzana, `Villa di Capezzana` Carmignano
Vintage: 2020
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CA104B20 | 6 x 75 | Natural Cork | Available |
| 2020 | CA104M20 | 1 x 150 | Natural Cork | Available |
Producer
Capezzana, in the Carmignano zone to the west of Florence, is owned and run by the Contini Bonacossi family who are the latest in a long line of owners. The history of the estate has been found to stretch back to 804 AD. This is evidenced by contracts to rent vines and olive groves at Capezzana, signed in this period, which exist in the archives in Florence.
Today, the responsibility for ensuring the continuation of such longevity lies with the fourth generation of the Contini Bonacossi family. Beatrice Contini Bonacossi looks after all marketing and communication aspects, while her sister Benedetta is in charge of winemaking. Franco Bernabei is their consultant winemaker, under whose guidance the Capezzana wines have achieved additional focus and personality.
The estate comprises 80 hectares of vineyard and 30,000 olive trees, all of which are farmed organically. The wines were certified organic from the 2015 vintage. Capezzana’s reds display supple and silky tannins combined with luminous fruit. The ‘Barco Reale’ is rounded and ripe with a great balance between fruit and structure. The ‘Villa di Capezzana’ Carmignano is made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for an average of 12 months in French oak. The resulting wine is beautifully intense and elegant.
The ’Ugo Contini Bonacossi’ pays homage to the family’s late patriarch who was a great advocate and ambassador of the Carmignano denomination. The wine is 100% Sangiovese, sourced from the Viticciana vineyard Ugo himself selected. In 1979, Ugo and Vittorio Contini Bonacossi decided to produce a Bordeaux blend in Carmignano. ‘Ghiaie della Furba’ is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot grapes, planted on gravelly soils (Ghiaie) near the Furba stream after which the wine is named. The Trebbiano shows aromas of yellow flowers, almonds and vanilla from oak ageing. Intense and harmonic on the palate, it has a refreshing acidity and a persistent finish.
Vineyards
Grapes are grown on the estate's 104 hectares of organically-farmed vineyard in the Carmignano zone. Vines are situated at 100-200 metres above sea level, facing south and south-west. Soils are schistous clay and limestone.
Vintage
2020 began with a fairly mild, dry winter, followed by rain showers in late April and early May. Summer was also characterised by hot and windy days, alternating with cool nights, which helped with fruit ripening. There were few instances of rain in July and August, followed by extreme rain in September. It was an excellent vintage in terms of quality, however as it is often the case with great vintages, the production suffered a decrease of about 25-30% (compared to yields in 2019).
Vinification
Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks for seven days, followed by a 13-day maceration on the skins at temperatures between 26-28°C. Then, the wine was transferred into French oak for malolactic fermentation. 70% of the wine was aged in 3.5 hectolitre tonneaux for 12 months and the remaining 30% in larger barrels for 16 months. The wine was then blended and bottled before a further 12 months ageing prior to release.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This wine is intense ruby red in colour with youthful highlights. The nose is elegant and ample, with notes of violet and wild berries intertwined with aromas of coffee and vanilla. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and elegant, with well-balanced acidity. The rounded tannins from the Sangiovese are lifted by the cassis concentration of the Cabernet on the long, concentrated finish, which ends with notes of liquorice and coffee.
Alcohol (ABV)
14.5%
Acidity
5.8 g/l
Residual Sugar
0.28 g/l
pH
3.58
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capezzana | Barco Reale di Carmignano | CA103 | R | Factsheet | |
| `Ghiaie della Furba` | CA106 | R | Factsheet | ||
| Vin Santo di Carmignano | CA107 | Sw | Factsheet | ||
| Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Non-Filtered) | CA108 | OO | Factsheet | ||
| Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil | CA109 | OO | Factsheet | ||
| Trebbiano | CA111 | W | Factsheet | ||
| `Ugo Contini Bonacossi` | CA125 | R | Factsheet |