“Costabate” Sangiovese di Toscana IGT 2019 · MAGNUM in OWC

Uccelliera | Tuscany
Az. Agr. Uccelliera | Podere Uccelliera 45 | IT 53024 Castelnuovo dell'Abate

09982619 · 1,5 l · 166,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping5 units available

There are wines that reveal more about a producer than anything else. Costabate is one such wine. Andrea Cortonesi could have bottled these grapes as Brunello. The vineyards are classified, the vines have been rooted in Castelnuovo dell'Abate since 1988, and the terroir is the same as that of his Riserva. But he decided against it. Not because the result would be inferior to a Brunello – but because he wanted something different. Something more personal. Something that does not conform to the rules of a denomination, but solely to his own vision of what Sangiovese can be on this hill.

Costabate is produced only in the best vintages. 850 numbered magnums – no more. Grapes from all three altitudes of his seven-hectare estate, in equal proportions: the freshness of the 350-metre-high vineyard, the density at 250 metres, and the warmth and minerality of the lower 150-metre-high plots. Three terroirs, three microclimates, one wine. The 2019 vintage – a long, even ripening period, no heat stress, harvest from 25 September – provided the conditions Cortonesi needs for this wine: complete phenolic ripeness without heaviness. In the cellar, the same craftsmanship as for Brunello and Riserva – cold maceration, spontaneous fermentation over 25 to 30 days. But then comes the crucial difference: at least 18 months exclusively in French barriques made from centuries-old oak. Followed by at least two years' ageing in bottle.

Deep ruby red. The bouquet is dense, complex and of beguiling stillness – dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, leather, dried herbs from the Maremma, and a subtle smoky note from the long barrique ageing. On the palate, it is velvety and concentrated, with a precision one would not expect from an IGT. A long, mineral and spicy finish with a lingering aftertaste that takes its time to fade. Incidentally, the name Costabate derives from the slope of the abbey – that of Sant'Antimo, which has towered over the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate since the 9th century. SUPERIORE.DE

"A gorgeous sangiovese with sweet cherries, sandalwood and oak on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Only 850 magnums made. Delicious now and will age beautifully. Drink or hold." James Suckling