Cerca Trova Sangiovese di Maremma IGT

The first wine produced in my portfolio is named Cerca Trova. Translated into English the name means “look and you will find”. The wine is produced at Azienda Agricola Querciagrossa, from mostly organically-grown, Sangiovese Grosso grapes, sourced around Roccastrada in Maremma. The grapes are carefully selected by Pierpaolo Bertolini, the owner of Querciagrossa, 

An exceptionally hot vintage, with somewhat atypical weather. A very cold and snowy winter preceded an unusually warm beginning of spring, with a very hot April, followed by a cool May, June and July.
The middle of August brought record-breaking heat and the grapes seemed prematurely ready. September remained extremely warm and 2011 was the year in which selection was a must. The wines are powerful and rich in character.

The vintage 2011 CercaTrova

This is a wine of great personality, concentration and mouth feel.  Ruby-red, tending to garnet with age. Its perfumes are rich and full, with hints of leather, tobacco, mulberries, raspberries, vanilla and cinnamon on the nose. This Sangiovese has a ripe cherry-fruit flavour and surprising length with mature, rounded tannins on the finish.

Wine facts: 

A rainy, mild winter was followed by a cool spring, with one exceptional patch of high temperatures causing early budbreak and a quick and generous fruit set. Difficult conditions in late spring/early summer were tempered by an exceptionally mild and dry September and early October which turned a potentially disastrous vintage into a surprisingly good one. Generally much lighter and earlier-drinking when compared to 2011 and 2015.

The vintage 2014 CercaTrova 

The concentration of the colour is lighter compared to 2011, but brighter and more vibrant. The aromas are very attractive, with a delightful bouquet of ripe, red berries and violets and a touch of vanilla from the oak ageing. The palate has fresh flavors of ripe red fruit with an elegant structure. 

Techniques used for the wine production

The techniques used to produce this wine are similar to what one might find in Burgundy. Small batch, wild fermentations with the use of whole clusters, hand-plunging and long post-fermentation macerations. 
After the alcoholic fermentation the wine spent around 16 months in 2-6 year-old oak barrels and a further year in stainless steel tanks before bottling
The wine spends an additional 3-6 months in bottle before release. 

Wine facts: