Capezzana, `Ugo Contini Bonacossi`

Capezzana, `Ugo Contini Bonacossi`

Vintage: 2018

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2018CA125B186 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
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

The grapes for this wine come from the Viticciana vineyard, which was personally designed by Ugo Contini Bonacossi himself. This hilly site sits at 150 metres above sea level and offers the Sangiovese vines an ideal south-facing exposure. The soil is composed of clay schist and limestone.

Vintage

2018 started out with a cold and rainy winter, with occasional snowfall. When spring arrived, Capezzana had to take special care to counteract the heat and humidity and combat pests in the vineyard. However, June brought sunny days through to harvest time. Thanks to the scrupulous work in the vineyard earlier in the year at Capezzana they were able to harvest perfectly healthy and ripe grapes. The Sangiovese was picked at the end of September.

Vinification

Grapes were hand harvested and carefully selected at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel vats at 26-28°C for seven days followed by a further 13 days maceration on the skins. The wine was then aged in a mix of 50% new and 50% used French oak barriques for 18 months, during which time malolactic fermentation took place. After bottling the wine was then matured for a further 12 months before being released.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

This wine is intense ruby red in colour with elegant aromas of red cherries and hints of spice. The palate is refined and elegant, with an intense concentration of red fruits, rose petals, cardamom, mint and smoky tobacco notes. This is a full-bodied wine with spicy, silky tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Alcohol (ABV)

14.5%

Acidity

6.21 g/l

Residual Sugar

0.5 g/l

pH

3.39