M.L. Fioretti Santinovo I.G.T. Toscana Rosso 2020

Santinovo is a Cabernet-Franc - Cabernet-Sauvignon blend, made from fruit from the Monteriggione region. It is an incredibly pure, fine, full-bodied wine that outperformed a few very highly regarded wines. The grapes were destemmed but not crushed and placed in a new 25hl wooden vat for a cold maceration of 4 days, followed by 10 days of fermentation at a maximum of 26°C, and then an additional 2 days of extended maceration. Only free-run juice was used (no press wine!), which was then placed partly in new barrels, partly in non-porous amphorae.
The result is an exceptional Cabernet blend with a deep colour, a beautiful aroma of dark fruit, and a creamy, smooth, full-bodied flavour with incredibly fine, velvety tannins on the very long finish. This wine already holds a cult status, making it quite challenging to acquire.

Oh, and there are no scores for these wines anywhere. Matthew finds it rather absurd to reduce wine to a numerical rating, a sentiment we can certainly agree with. Reviews can be written, but no points are assigned, which is why most reviewers don't even bother.