1995 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione

In 1995 the estate saw a particularly late harvest. The fruit was brought in on the 22nd of October. The 1995 Carbonaione is fresher and more vibrant than the 1997, but also somewhat leaner in style. It shows some of the gamier notes that sometimes develop in the wine, along with spices and worn-in leather. In 1995 the wine was fermented in oak, and even today a layer of sweetness remains. The 1995 has the freshness to continue to hold for at least a few more years, although it doesn’t appear to have any further upside potential.

The 1995 Il Carbonaione is an explosive blockbuster of a wine, with extraordinary density and massive flavor concentration. It displays an opaque purple color, fabulous aromatic purity (blackcurrants, new oak, floral scents, and a touch of cedar), extraordinary ripeness, great presence on the palate, but no sense of heaviness or astringency. The wine is formidably deep, powerful, and impressive. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2015. Wow! This 30-acre estate owned by the renowned winemaker Vittori Fiore, produces approximately 1,500 cases of a 100% Sangiovese di Lamole-based wine from a vineyard planted between 1920 and 1930. Yields are frightfully low (about 1.2 tons of fruit per acre), and the wine is aged in large foudres before bottling. This is one of the most exciting wines emerging from Tuscany. A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620