Tasting Notes:

Santa Cristina offers a red colour with purple highlights. The nose shows notes of ripe cherries, typical aromas both Sangiovese and of Syrah well integrated with the balsamic sensation of mint which characterise Merlot. Pleasurable sensations of vanilla and coffee complete the bouquet. The palate is soft and ample with a fruity finish and aftertaste.

Fermentation and Aging:

The grape varieties were fermented separately. After destemming and a soft pressing, the grapes were macerated on there skins for approximetly 1 week in stainless steel tanks. During this phase, the wine finished it fermentation at a tempurature held to a maximum of 77° fahrenheit (25° centigrade). The wine was then racked and terminated its malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. The wine aged for a few months in small oak barrels and began to be bottled in november of 2018.

Climate:

The 2018 growing season, characterized by long and cold weather, created a delay in the start of new vegetative activity. An excellent spring then guaranteed a regular development in the phases of bud burst and bud set. Frequent rainfall from early March up until the first days of July preceded a warm and dry spell until mid-August, one, however, marked by an absence of peak temperatures. The occasional rains of the last fifteen days of the month, were followed by a rise in temperatures during the month of September which assured the harvesting of healthy and fully ripe grapes. The picking began, as is the traditional practice, with the Merlot and the Syrah from the 10 to the 20 of September and continued with the Sangiovese up until the end of the month. The harvest concluded with the harvest of the Cabernet during the first week of October