Supertuscans are high-quality Tuscan wines, typically with Toscana IGT denomination, produced outside DOC and DOCG regulations. This style of wine is created by blending indigenous grape varieties with international varietals, resulting in wines with a soft, rounded and balanced palate.
Leonardo da Vinci Wines has also chosen to pay tribute to this excellence, creating among the precious offerings that make up the Villa da Vinci collection the S.to Ippolito – Toscana IGT Rosso.
S.to Ippolito Toscana IGT Rosso – awarded 99/100 by Luca Maroni in the Annuario dei Migliori Vini Italiani 2020 – is born from the
harmonious fusion of the finest red grapes, cultivated in the lands surrounding Villa da Vinci, in the Tuscan hills.
Supertuscans are revolutionary wines, born from an innovative and brilliant idea. This term was indeed coined in the early 1980s to describe red wines produced in Tuscany that, for various reasons – from the geographical area, to the choice of grapes and the vinification method – do not fall within the production regulations of their respective area of origin.
These wines are produced using traditional Sangiovese and non-native or non-typical Italian red grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah varieties, and do not comply with DOC and DOCG guidelines.
To create these wines, a very important oenological operation is employed: the blend, which involves the blending of two or more wines to obtain a single assemblage. This technique adds complexity to the final product and maximises its taste and aromatic expression. Assembling multiple varieties indeed allows one to enhance colours, aromas and textures, and to render a wine more complex or fragrant if necessary. The objective of this operation is to obtain an “excellent” wine, bringing together the expressive power of each grape and highlighting the peculiarities of each variety used.
The S.to Ippolito Toscana IGT Rosso is a red wine with an international soul, which fuses the harmony, consistency and balance of its constituent varieties: 40% Sangiovese grapes, 30% Merlot, 30% Syrah. Its balanced and enveloping taste is fragrant and full-bodied on the palate, with excellent persistence and fruity aftertaste.
Leonardo da Vinci Toscana IGT Rosso S.to Ippolito: vinification and ageing
Merlot and Syrah grapes are typically harvested in early September, while Sangiovese is harvested in late September/early October. Following a skin maceration of approximately 12 days, fermentation takes place at 28-30°C, separately for each variety. During this process, short but frequent punchings down are performed. Ageing before bottling is carried out in oak barrique, predominantly new, for a period of 12-18 months.
Leonardo da Vinci Toscana IGT Rosso S.to Ippolito: tasting notes
Balanced, smooth and enveloping. S.to Ippolito is an extraordinarily harmonious wine, of imposing structure and consistency, capable of highlighting the aromatic integrity of each constituent variety.
The typical characteristics of this wine are clearly visible in its colour – a purple red, limpid and decisive. S.to Ippolito Toscana Rosso IGT is harmonious and balanced, with excellent persistence and a spiced aftertaste. It is distinguished by spice notes, amongst which vanilla stands out, and by intense aromas of blackberry jam, from which evident balsamic and minty notes emerge.
Toscana IGT Rosso pairs very well with several dishes, particularly with assertive second courses based on red meat, game and roasts. Moreover, it is perfect paired with typical Tuscan dishes, such as peposo or rosticciane, but also with more classic dishes such as roast pork.
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