2019 Piaggia Pietranera Toscana
Blend: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Franc
From: IGT Tuscany, Tuscany, Italy
The Piaggia farm is situated in the commune of Poggio a Caiano, in the province of Prato, about 14 kilometres west of Florence. It has vineyards in the Carmignano Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin area, partly in the commune of Poggio a Caiano and partly in the commune of Carmignano.
The winery was set up by Mauro Vannucci, who purchased the land in the DOC area near Piaggia in the mid 70s; he was convinced that the excellent exposure to the sun and the permeable, dry and clayey soil would produce a great Carmignano wine.
“Piaggia Pietranera IGT Toscana derives from our will to produce a wine reflecting the pleasantness and the elegance of our terroir and to offer the consumer an excellent structured wine, refined and able to be a valid complement of everyday traditional Italian cooking, so satisfying tastes of those looking for a typical and pure wine of Tuscan tradition. The selection grapes and the careful vinification with natural yeasts allow us to obtain this daily product in which all the pleasantness of the wine according to Piaggia philosophy is contained, always synonym of authenticity and passion for the land.”
For those that are curious: IGT — stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, corresponding to the eu denomination pgi. Either IGT or IGP (the Italian version of PGI) may appear on labels. This category of wines was created in Italy by law 164 in 1992 as an approximate equivalent of the French vin de pays. It officially enabled producers to give more information on the labels of their myriad esteemed, and often extremely expensive, wines then selling as a vino da tavola. IGT was created as the basis of a quality pyramid with doc in the middle and docg at the top. Many producers are unable or unwilling to opt for any denomination higher than IGT, either because they produce wines from vine varieties and/or use winemaking techniques not permitted by the local DOC regulations, or because the quality control system, which must establish a wine’s typicality, is unable or unwilling to adapt to changes in viticulture and winemaking. Wines produced and bottled without sulfur dioxide, unfiltered wines, and skin-fermented white wines fall victim to this. Particularly popular IGTs include delle Venezie, Puglia, Terre Siciliane, Toscana, and Veneto.
Taste: Intense and thick ruby red colour. Complex on the nose, reminiscent of fruits of the forest jam, sweet spices, thyme and cocoa. Full-bodied. Excellent balance between alcohols and polyalcohols, acids and tannins, with a persistent finish and a pleasant sweet, fresh and fruity follow-through.
Pairing: This wine is best enjoyed in the company of friends and confidants, sitting beside a savory meal featuring wild game, beef, lamb, veal, chicken, cured meats and mature cheeses.
