2019 | Podere Il Carnasciale | Il Caberlot

Dark, rich ruby with gently brightening rim. Beautiful spice on the nose, plus vibrant plum, strong pepper spiciness, meaty and bloody, in the background some bay leaf and rosemary, violets. Very fresh and balanced on the palate, with crisp fruit and juicy tannin, seems light on its feet and complex at the same time, draws up tight and salty, clear, spicy and very long. A long distance runner.

Reviews:

• Wine Spectator: A classy red, complex and delineated, yet elegant and supple in texture, setting the stage for black currant, blackberry, violet, cedar, rosemary and mineral flavors. Balanced and incisive on the long finish, with a lingering aftertaste that echoes the fruit, mineral and savory notes. Superb.

• James Suckling: Fragrant nose of blueberries, violets, peppercorns, sage, five spice and lemon leaves. Medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Compact and firm. Lots of character, with perfumed tea-leaf notes at the end.

Producer Information

Podere Il Carnasciale (also known as Caberlot) is a cult estate in Valdarno, Tuscany. The winery is famous for being the only producer in the world of Caberlot, a crossing of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, grown exclusively at the estate. As Caberlot is not a recognised Tuscan variety, the wines are designated as IGT Toscana. The estate was established by Wolf and Bettina Rogosky. The couple had met the agronomist Remigio Bordini in the 1980s, who had discovered the Caberlot crossing in an abandoned vineyard near Padua in the 1960s. The crossing was thought to have occurred naturally, showing characteristics of both varieties, leading Bordini to call it Caberlot – although no DNA testing has ever been done. Bordini agreed to allow the Rogoskys to plant it on their Tuscan property, above the Arno river, and be the first to vinify it. The couple initially had trouble planting a vineyard, as they couldn't secure a permit to remove the existing olive trees on their property. Only after a severe frost in 1985 cleared a small parcel were they able to plant vines, resulting in a tiny vineyard less than a third of a hectare (0.7 acres), named Il Carnasciale. The vineyard was tended entirely organically and by hand with the inaugural vintage produced in 1988. The Il Caberlot has since only been produced in magnums and has received consistent critical praise. New vineyards were planted in 1999, 2004 and 2011, and there is now 3ha (7 acres) under vine. A second wine, Il Carnasciale, was introduced in 2000 and is also made from Caberlot, and sold in standard 750ml bottles. The most recent addition to the portfolio is the Ottantadue, a varietal Sangiovese. All the estate's grapes are vinified and barrel aged according to their vineyard plot. The results are tasted blind, with barrels producing the most structured and age worthy wine being blended into Il Caberlot, and the more fruit-forward wine blended into Il Carnasciale. The Caberlot is then aged a further sixteen months in bottle, compared to six for the Carnasciale. The Ottantadue spends 14 months aging in tank prior to bottling. Allocations are still very small, and total production of each wine averages less than 1000 cases a year. The distinctive cross on the label is hand painted and, along with the label's color, changes with every new vintage. Each bottle is numbered by hand by Bettina.

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