Bakkanali Rosso Toscana, 2022, 750ml
$66
Description
Inspired by their, if not mystical, then certainly cherished experiences of gathering together to share great wines (i.e. Baccanalia), the duo of Sebastian Nasello (historic winemaker at Le Ripi in Montalcino) and Hugo Fabbri have nally found a terroir all their own. Coming from decades of experience in the ne wine world of Montalcino, they found it right under their noses, just across the valley on the dormant volcano of Mount Amiata. Their vineyards and garagiste cellar are located on Amiata’s northern slope, in the windy mountain village of Poggioferro (600-800 meters). A place that’s known more for itinerant sheep herders, than vine tenders. Volcanic mountain Sangiovese - here we come!
The soils are a complex matrix of ancient limestone sediments, volcanic sands, and Flysch. They work with organic certication, and are in conversion to being certied biodynamic on a total of 5.5 hectares of vineyards. The guiding principle of the cellar is to create terroir-driven wines through experimentation.
The wines exude the extreme and wild side of Sangiovese. The fruit is exuberant and lusty, synesthetically projecting colors, which are alternatively impressionistic and baroque (as seen on their art labels). They manage to merge fine wine details with drinkability, displaying a deep spicy minerality, skeins of sea salt, and alluring vertical quality to the structure. In short, volcanic mountain Sangiovese - made by people that are chasin’, lovin’ and drinkin’ fine natural wines and terroirs from around the world.
Bakkanali Rosso is the agship wine: wild Sangiovese, picked a bit early, 30% whole-cluster with carbonic maceration for 10 days, traditionally foot-trod in steel tanks. After 3 days of primary fermentation there’s a soft manual press and the wine continues to ferment in steel for a few months before 6 months of elevage in 60HL glass-lined concrete.