“Kappa Essenza” Rosso Toscana IGT 2016

Fattoria Kappa | Tuscany
Fattoria Kappa | Piazza Castello 24 | IT 20100 Milano

29212316 · 0,75 l · 130,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available

The essence of chance. There are wines that are only created when the stars are right – and Essenza from Fattoria Kappa is one of them. In the language of physics, Kappa means the constant, but at this extraordinary winery on the border between Bolgheri and Maremma, chance reigns supreme. Only in exceptional years, when the Cabernet Franc grapes reach their fullest maturity and complexity, is this rare cru produced – a gamble that only a few winegrowers in Tuscany dare to take. 2016 was one such year of perfection. After a cool, damp winter and spring, July finally brought the longed-for heat and dryness. A welcome rain shower in mid-August cooled things down and paved the way for a textbook September: warm days, cool nights and the dramatic temperature fluctuations that allow Cabernet Franc to reach its peak. While other producers opted for tried and tested Bordeaux blends, Andrea Di Maio – the agronomist from Livorno and one of the three souls of Fattoria Kappa – went it alone with this capricious grape variety.

The result is a wine of hypnotic radiance: sparkling ruby colour with slightly brightening edges announces its mature elegance. The nose opens with a density and urgency that silences even experienced tasters – blackcurrants and preserved cherries merge with a tobacco symphony of rare complexity. Those vegetal and balsamic notes of eucalyptus that make Tuscan Cabernet Franc so incomparable unfold without shame or restraint. On the palate, the true greatness of this wine is revealed: juicy, perfectly worked out fruit meets a tannin network of seemingly endless layers. The grippy but never dominant tannin framework carries the wine to a final of firm pressure and mineral depth. It is that "golosis" – that Italian lust for life and drinking –that tempts you to reach for the next one from the very first sip. Produced in a limited edition of just a few hundred bottles, Essenza 2016 epitomises the spirit of Fattoria Kappa: visionary, uncompromising and trusting in chance. A Riserva quality wine that proves that sometimes the greatest risks bring the greatest rewards. SUPERIORE.DE

"This is Fattoria Kappa's top wine made from Cabernet Franc. The Essenza 2016 is packaged in a heavy glass bottle with a black wax capsule. It displays dark fruit, spice and rich saturation with a particularly full-bodied style. You should fire up the barbecue to grill steak or pork chops with this powerful bottle." Wine Advocate

"Sparkling ruby colour with a slightly brightening rim. Dense and memorable nose, full of dark currants and preserved cherries, lots of tobacco in the background. Juicy on the palate, well-developed fruit, grippy tannins in many layers, firm pressure on the final." Falstaff