2018 Tolaini "Picconero" Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy

ABOUT THIS WINE

100% Merlot. Lime and clay soil with a considerable presence of gravel size stones. 23 year old vines. 6900-11000 vines per hectacre. 100% destemmed. Fermented in 100% new, open top French Barriques with soft manual punchdowns. Aged in 100% new French barriques for 18 months, of which 6 months are on the fine lees. Aged further 12 months in bottle.

Tolaini Estate is an expression of both old and new winemaking techniques. An optical sorter guarantees that only the healthy whole grapes make it into the fermentation vats. The best grapes from each harvest are fermented in open-top fermenters made of French Allier oak (12 units of 4500 liter capacity), a time-proven touch that increases the complexity of the wines. The generous array of tank sizes allows for individual parcels of grapes to be fermented and stored separately. These batches are kept apart through subsequent barrel aging in new French oak before blending.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Pier Luigi Tolaini, a native of Tuscany, immigrated to Canada in 1956. He planned to work for a few years, make some money, then go back home, buy a farm, marry his high school sweetheart, and make some good wine... and not with his feet this time! It took Pier Luigi 45 years before he returned with a clear vision of the high-quality wine he wanted to make: one of Italy's best, no less.

In 1998 he returned to his native land and purchased some of the best land in the region of Chianti Classico in the noted commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga. From the roots up, he constructed this state-of-the-art winery. He brought together the best technology and winemakers to bring to light wines that would truly express this significant region. Pier Luigi hired famed enologist Michel Rolland and Tuscan agronomist Andrea Paoletti, who put together a team that shares Pierluigi's vision - to make the best wines possible with one vitally unique ingredient - the terroir of Chianti Classico's southernmost commune: Castelnuovo Berardenga.

A true marriage of tradition and modern technology. The belief in the "best fruit produces the best wine" is the fundamental principle of the Tolaini estate. High-density planting per hectare and low yield per plant is a proven strategy worldwide in producing excellent quality fruit. With up to 8,300 plants per hectare in the less hilly vineyards, drip irrigation for each plant, and two green harvests to pre-select the healthiest and most promising bunches on the vine, the Tolaini property produces fruit of unsurpassable quality. This fruit is evident in every mouthful of the estate's five incredible red wines.

Tolaini wines are known internationally for their impeccable quality and incredible taste. With each new vintage, they continue to innovate and impress.