Villa Antinori

Dark ruby in colour with a purple tinge. On the densely fruited nose, aromas of ripe cherry, cassis, and fig, with spicy ground pepper, clay, some toast and light leather. The palate is compact, with a clear core of fruit and grippy tannins, with a dense body and a slightly drying finish.

2015 is one of those years when the lesser labels can shine given the quality of the fruit. That’s the case with this Toscana IGT, a mix of mostly sangiovese with small quantities of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. The attack is richer, the fruit darker than the norm but still with enough red fruit brightness to keep it fresh. Juicy black cherries, dark plums and spicy vanilla notes give it a touch more heft in 2015 which should have wide appeal. That said, the textures remain supple and eminently drinkable. A good year to stock up on. The wine is aged in a mix of French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels for twelve months before it gets a further eight months in bottle. Try this with a lamb sausage tomato sauced pasta. Interestingly, ‘Villa Rosso’ was first produced in 1928 by Niccolò Antinori, father of Piero Antinori and was revived by Piero Antinori in 2001 as an IGT wine made from estate fruit.