2018 Casaglia Colorino Toscana

Matthew Fioretti made under 1,000 bottles of this old-vine Colorino, the first wine to be bottled under his M.L. Fioretti label. From small, leased vineyard, which sadly he no longer has, it’s a gorgeous wine. It gleams with a brilliant, alluring purple colour in the glass, echoing the pure fruit that leaps out of the glass. Deep and dark cassis mingles with a white-pepper spice and a savoury depth. The palate is juicy with fine-grained tannins, mouth-wateringly fresh and balanced, driving on and long, still with that savoury undertone with adds a serious twist to an otherwise deliciously moreish wine.

This 100% Colorino is made from the rare, old indigenous Del Valdarno clone of Colorino from vineyards originally owned by Marchesi Pancrazi – a producer famous for first introducing Pinot Noir to Tuscany. The fruit is whole-berry fermented, with no pump-overs to ensure smooth tannins, and the wine aged in 350-litre barrels for 12 months before being racked into Tava amphorae for a further six months. True to its name, the 2018 Casaglia Colorino has an intense red colour with bright purple notes. On the nose, ripe berries are embellished with sweet and savoury spices (especially cloves), becoming more powerful and aromatic with layers of herbs and violets. There is also a cool minerality that balances the ripeness of the fruit beautifully. The palate is persuasive and polished, with well-calibrated, ample and velvety tannins. The finish is persistent and intense, warming yet balanced and fresh, with a pleasant, sweet finish. This is a wine of superb concentration and intensity, yet not lacking anything in grace and finesse.