Vigna Flavia 2015
Sangiovese IGT
Colle Santa Mustiola
Chiusi, Tuscany, Italy (just east of Montalcino)

$46.99 SALE
$51.99 reg

Our tasting Note: Deep ruby core, red edges are lighter but not brick colored. The nose here shows the warmer vintage, the fruits are pronounced and waft easily from the glass, darker, with currants, dark red cherry, and black raspberries, sweet balsamic, violet, and cedar notes adding further complexity, with touch of savory garden herbs in the background. The palate is med+ to full in body, ripe and fine tannins buttress a sauve and velvety palate. The flavor intensity is pronounced with a long, cascading finish. 14% abv

93 points Vinous for the similar vintage 2011 (NOT the 2015 here which is NOT yet rated)
"A wine of exuberance and shimmering youthful intensity, the 2011 Vigna Flavia exudes richness in all of its dimensions. Super-ripe dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, licorice, grilled herbs and leather fill out the wine's frame effortlessly. There is a textural richness and resonance in the 2011 that is impossible to miss. I especially like the way in which the 2011 is rich on the palate, yet also aromatically deep and never heavy. What a gorgeous wine this is." - By Antonio Galloni on July 2017
Once again, I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Colle Santa Mustiola and proprietor Fabio Cenni. Vigna Flavia, considered the estate's young-vines, entry-level red, sees 2-2.5 years of aging, which is on the long side for a wine of this perceived level. Not surprisingly, the Vigna Flavia can be pretty special. The flagship Poggio Ai Chiari, the top Sangiovese bottling, sees 3-4 years in wood and is only released after several years in the cellar, which means it offers quite a bit of nuance when it arrives in the market. Both wines are incredibly distinctive.

"Vigna Flavia" is produced from 5 clones of Sangiovese, as noted the above Chiari is 28 clones! The finished wine is aged in large neutral oak botti barrels, so the terroir and purity of the fruit take center stage. 54+ months in barrel and 12-24 months in bottle depending on how the wine is drinking.

Vineyard: 100% Sangiovese 5 selected clones, 2 hectares, North/East Exposure. Hilly area at approx. 300 meters above sea level.

Soil: Alluvial soil with pilocene sand

Climate: Continental, but moderated by the presence of the lakes of Chiusi, Trasimeno and Montepulciano with cold winters and normally mild summers characterized by strong temperature variations between day and night.

Density: 10,000 plants per hectare, with a yield of 35-40 ha

Harvest: Manual with selection of bunches

Fermentation: Stainless steel, spontaneous with yeasts naturally present on the grapes

Maceration: at least 40 days of which 25 with submerged cap

Maturation: 4.5 years (54 months) in 20/30 hl large, neutral, Slovenian oak barrels. Subsequent refinement in the bottle for 24 months

ABV: 14%