2016 Bertinga 'Volta di Bertinga' Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy

Bertinga winery is located on an exceptional hillside site in the area Gaiole in Chianti. Despite being founded as recently as 2015, it has an established pedigree in the wine world. Bertinga is one of the best-known vineyards in the area; previously owned by Castello di Ama, is now teh heart of this high end boutique winery. Bertinga crafts small quantities of terroir-driven single parcel / single vineyard wines, using 100% estate grown and organically farmed fruit out its 16.4 HA planted to both Sangiovese and Merlot, both varietals having played the leading role in making the area famous.

JAMES SUCKLING 97 POINTS

"This is a pure merlot with violets, blueberries and hints of minerals and black truffles. Black olives, too. Full-bodied, yet so tight and polished with a reserved and agile mouth feel. Linear and racy. Superb quality for this first released vintage. "

An exceptional example of the great heights to which the noble Merlot grape can attain on good sites in temperate climates (c.f. St. Emilion). While maintaining a sense of its Tuscan origins, it shows Bertinga's winemaking style: cool, reserved, with a stony mineral quality supporting the moderate generosity of fruit, and lifting freshness of acidity and grounding of firm, fine tannin that will allow this to improve over the next few years and on.