Ampeleia Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana 2023
Ampeleia Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana 2023 – alternate view 2
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Ampeleia Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana 2023

Ampeleia
$38.00

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2023
Type: Red

Grown on high-altitude clay terraces at the Vigna dell'Asina parcel in Roccatederighi, this pure cabernet franc represents a benchmark for the Alta Maremma coast. Winemaker Marco Tait coordinates with natural wine icon Elisabetta Foradori to manage the rugged plots under strict, Demeter-certified biodynamic principles. The fruit ferments spontaneously with wild yeasts in unlined concrete tanks, utilizing a small whole-cluster component for a gentle partial carbonic maceration. It ages for nine months in concrete, bypassing heavy oak to highlight a varietal character.

It pours a deep ruby color with violet reflections, opening with aromas of dark forest cassis, sour cherry, and fresh mountain mint. The medium-bodied palate is deep and racy, pairing ripe blackberry fruit with savory notes of rosemary, espresso, and leather. A chiseled core of limestone-driven acidity cuts right through the primary concentration, keeping the weightless texture perfectly balanced. Silken tannins integrate with a maritime salinity.

Winery

Co-founded in 2002 by biodynamic pioneer Elisabetta Foradori alongside Giovanni Podini and led in the cellar by winemaker Marco Tait, Ampeleia is situated near Roccatederighi in the rugged hills of Tuscany’s Upper Maremma. The estate spans 35 hectares of certified biodynamic vineyards divided across 3 distinct elevation bands, ranging from 200 to 500 meters above sea level. Embracing a geological landscape of clay, schist, and gravel, the winery bypassed modern regional monoculture to focus on Mediterranean field blends and high-altitude expressions of varieties like cabernet franc, alicante nero, carignano, and mourvèdre.