IGT Toscana Rosso 2022 - Bakkanali (BD & vin nature)

Here is the Bacchanal by Peter Paul Rubens (1615). For the ancient Romans, the Bacchanals were the wildest and most licentious days of the year: the god Bacchus was celebrated, symbol of youth, ardor and recklessness.

And so we have here a very greedy Cabernet Sauvignon from Monte Amiata. Sangiovese Bakkanali, unlike any Sangiovese from Tuscany you have probably ever tasted. A Sangiovese from the mountains, fresh with cherries and blackberries on the nose and almost rustic qualities that only add power to the wine. I would almost dare to call it a certain form of nostalgia. Oh so elegant on the palate and oh so dynamic in bottle and glass. A bottle is empty within a few minutes, promise, the nostalgia remains. If this is the result of the first vintage, we dare not imagine what the next will be!

Country / Region : Italy / Monte Amiata (Tuscany)
Grape variety(ies) : Sangiovese
In the vineyard : Orchards situated at 600 meters altitude. Soil consisting of a very low ph value of marl and limestone. Vines of approx. 15 years old.
In the wine cellar : Spontaneous fermentation, fermentation and maturation in stainless steel.
Quality mark: biodynamic

Half an hour away from Montalcino, known for its characteristic Brunello di Montalcio wines, we find poderi Bakkanali. Not just your average Tuscan winery but located on the Monte Amiata, an old volcano that has been inactive for at least 180,000 years. Previously, the mountain only functioned as a certain wall of protection against bad weather conditions, to which the hills of Montalcino owe their microclimate. Nowadays, the mountain is finally getting the attention and appreciation it deserves. Thanks to the high altitude (600-850 meters), the cooler climate and the special geological properties, Sebastian Nasello and Ugo Fabbri know how to create beautiful wines here with great respect for nature and the environment.

The two are still young but already have a wealth of experience and are therefore thoroughly motivated. Their love for wines from cold climates is almost tangible in the Sangiovese and not so long ago even Savagnin vines were planted. Savoie meets Tosacana, we are curious. For now we will stay on the red.

Tuscan wines are known to be very robust, high in alcohol and always matured in oak. Sebastian and Ugo, however, mature all their wines in stainless steel or concrete, with a relatively short maceration time and only partial whole-cluster fermentation. Together with a soil consisting of limestone, marl, schist, volcanic silicates and quartz, the area is not only a geologist's wet dream, but also a wine lover's dream.

Striking point, the beautiful labels. Chosen from exorbitant famous Baroque paintings, from Titian to Rubens, all in the theme of Bacchus, the Bachanaal, Bakkanli Tast toe.