Carmignano Santa Cristina in Pilli 2020 Fattoria Ambra
Carmignano is one of the smallest Italian DOCGs. The wines, almost always artisanal productions, have a convincing taste, are versatile in food pairing and are elegant. So is the Carmignano Santa Cristina in Pilli from Fattoria Ambra; it is obtained from a single vineyard 150 m above sea level west of Florence. The vineyard has a calcareous soil rich in alberese (typical Tuscan white rock), which gives character to Sangiovese. But the Sangiovese here is flanked by a small percentage of Cabernet, which gives the wine an almost exotic touch. Cabernet was formerly cultivated in Carmignano, with the name of "French grape"; it is said that it was planted in the Medici estates of Carmignano following the wedding of Catherine de 'Medici with Louis XIV, King of France.
The yields are very low, the grapes ferment in steel vats and the maceration lasts from 15 to 25 days depending on the vintage. After racking, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and then it ages for a year in barrels of different sizes: half are small French barrels of 350 and 500 liters, half are large Slavonian oak barrels.
Carmignano Santa Cristina in Pilli by Fattoria Ambra is price for money.