2019 Il Caberlot | DMG

The Il Carnasciale 2019 Il Caberlot shows good ripeness, concentration and aromatic intensity. Although this wine is normally sold in magnum, I tasted a smaller bottle called Sommelleria. The price you see here is for the magnum. The 2019 vintage offers beautiful weight and roundness of fruit that wraps smoothly over the palate. There is sweet cherry, black fruit, spice and grilled herb. Winemaking starts off in stainless steel, with careful punch-downs lasting from 20 to 30 days, depending on the harvest conditions. It does malolactic fermentation in barrique with stirring of the lees. This vintage shows a pretty acidic signature to close.

Il Carnasciale is a special estate recognized as the home of Caberlot, a late-ripening grape that shares characteristics with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The winery counts 5.8 hectares of vines that are mostly Caberlot with 1.2 hectares cut out for Sangiovese. The soils in this part of the Valdarno are loose and sandy with high iron and mineral content. There is some schist and clay as well. The Caberlot was planted in 1985, and the Sangiovese vines are 20 years old. The estate obtained its certificate for organics in 2023.

In terms of vintages, the 2020 season saw lots of rain, and crews were forced to harvest quickly. The Sangiovese was not produced in that year. The 2021 vintage was hot, and the fruit came off the vines earlier than normal. 

- Monica Larner (03/2023)