Il Carnasciale
Carnasciale
Podere Il Carnasciale is situated in the southern Chianti mountains in the Valdarno di Sopra region of Tuscany, thirty kilometers north of Siena and Arezzo and 60 kilometers south of Florence. True to original owner’s (Wolf Rogosky) vision, the secluded hilltop estate is run today by Bettina and her son Moritz Rogosky, in collaboration with the enologists and winemakers Peter Schilling and Marco Maffei.
The Caberlot variety—a naturally occurring crossing of Merlot and Cabernet Franc—is cultivated exclusively at Podere Il Carnasciale, making them a self-proclaimed “haute couture” winery. Extreme care and craft go into detail, precision, and quality, in both their vineyard and cellar work. Their work in the vineyards is carried out entirely by hand, with the utmost respect for the soil and the vines. Pruning, budding, and leaf management are all done manually, without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.
Tasting Notes
Big wines featuring a relatively unknown Tuscan hybrid clone of Cabernet and Merlot, called Caberlot. Bordering on herbaceous in some vintages, still medium bodied and serious.
Cultivation
The variety Caberlot was first identified in the late 1960's in an abandoned vineyard. It is cultivated exclusively at Il Carnasciale with utmost respect for the soil and plants, entirely by hand. Manual harvest usually begins in late September, and the small baskets are cooled until brought to the cellar.
Vinification
The grapes are destemmed and fermented in small stainless steel vats (8-10hL) with temperatures kept below 28-29° C. The cap formed by the mash is broken twice daily with a wooden cross to increase contact between the skins and the juice. The grapes from each vineyard and each day of harvest are fermented individually, and the use of sulfates is kept to a strict minimum.
Aging
The malolactic fermentations in barrel are followed by aging in carefully selected French fûts and barriques, of which 60% are new, two-thirds Tronçais oak and one third Allier and Vosges, blonde to medium toast. Wines kept in wood for period of 22 months, racking them only once. Same vinification and care as Il Caberlot, but bottled in 750ml and aged in bottle for 6 months.
Press
2020:
92 points - Antonio Galloni
2019:
91 points - Antonio Galloni
2017:
93 points - Antonio Galloni
2016:
90 points - Wine Spectator
2015:
94 points - James Suckling
91 points - Wine Spectator
APPELLATION
Toscana IGT
VARIETAL
Caberlot
ABV
14%
SOIL
Sandstone, rock, limestone, clay, loess, shell
PHILOSOPHY
Organic
AVERAGE AGE
8-32 years
ANNUAL PRODUCTION
6,000-8,000 btls