2014 Costa Toscana Rosso IGT Ampeleia Review And Tasting Notes
The 2014 Costa Toscana Rosso IGT Ampeleia is a delicacy that made us discuss a lot. It divided us and led us to reflect on the value of this bottle of Tuscan Cabernet Franc.
Why should one choose a Maremma IGT from the smiling hills of Roccatederighi?
Why this Bordeaux blend in Tuscany?
What connection does it have with the territory?
All legitimate questions, but perhaps questions of goat wool, given that the wine is good, intense, elegant, and endowed with a certain charm.
But its main problem is that it does not leave its mark. Yes, of course, it’s not bad. Perhaps in these hills, with these altitudes and soils, Cabernet Franc finds an excellent habitat, everything has been studied to optimize the vineyard system, but the underlying problem remains. In the midst of the thousand Supertuscans, Bordeaux, you get lost. There are too many.
We have tasted the whole range of Ampeleia wines, and the average quality is good. Maybe the use of wood is a bit too aggressive, but they are wines born to face the years, especially this Ampeleia IGT Rosso, and therefore they must rest to dispose of barrique smokiness.
Another fact that favors the winery and these wines is the desire to be as natural as possible: they want to be clean, produce with indigenous yeasts, and don’t filter the wines. Of course, the use of such intrusive wood flattens this beautiful work so philologically precise, but let’s say they are worthy wines.
Color
Very intense, clean ruby red.
The bouquet
Nose all concentrated on a hot and pungent fruit reminiscent of blackberries and cherries immersed in a sea of aromatic herbs and peppers, typical of Cabernet Franc. Despite the vanilla and spicy tones of the wood that mortifies everything, there is a lot of variety, small first fruits of the forest, endless flowers, and earthy returns of licorice and pine resin. A barely perceptible marine call emerges delicately—spicy and very persistent finish.
The taste
In the mouth, it is warm, round, tannic, dense, and well defined by fine but powerful tannin. The forest hints are felt and transformed into flavors of forest fruit compote. The freshness is sufficient and keeps together an ambitious structure. The balance is not optimal at the moment, it is still a very young wine with some (tannic) edges, but they are not defects. If you have the time to keep it in the cellar for at least 3-4 years, it will reward you with a rich and opulent evolution, ethereal notes already present, even if very much in the making. Spicy finish with Mediterranean scrub—excellent body and persistence.
Price
Thirty-five euros in the wine shop, slightly expensive.