Anna Rita was bubbling over with excitement when she told us the news of their well-deserved Trophy won at the 2023 Austrian Wine Challenge. They were just back from Vienna where they had received this great award – Best Sangiovese Trophy of the competition.

The prize ceremony, she told us, was held “in a magnificent, 19th-century palace, right in the heart of the Old City. How wonderful it was! Trust me, it seemed like we were in a dream. We were so proud, and so delighted as this is the wine we share with you, our Vineyard Partners.”

Even at the time of harvest in 2021, Paolo knew the quality was exceptional – superb ripeness and intensity in the grapes. Yields had been reduced due to a late spring frost and high temperatures during the summer. The upside to these lower yields was even greater quality and concentration.

When Paolo tasted the must in the cellar that year, he was very excited about the wine’s potential – even then, it was showing an excellent balance of fruit, freshness and structure. And this optimism has been borne out with its well-deserved Trophy.

Here Anna Rita explained her delight:

“ll Corto is a very special wine to us. We introduce it to new customers by saying that it expresses the elegance of Sangiovese – a style Paolo tries to maintain every year in the wine. We think that 2021 vintage is one of the best of the last decade, so no doubt this is an excellent purchase!”

The grapes for Il Corto are always taken from the single vineyard it is named after, with its fine, galestro soil, excellent for draining.

“We harvest all the grapes grown in the Il Corto vineyard, planted as it is with 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and use it for this wine. If the Sangiovese vines produce a little less, or indeed the Cabernet, the proportion of each can vary a little. But we emphasise that Il Corto comes from this single vineyard”, explained Anna Rita.

The oak ageing varies a little from year to year as well, according to the character of the grapes, Anna Rita continued:

“The structure of the wine benefits from ageing in half new oak barrels, no problem, but we’re careful to ensure the fruit isn’t hidden at all by the power of the oak. Which is why the other half of the barrels are second, third or fourth passage.”

Here is Paolo’s latest tasting note, before the bottles were shipped:

“Fruity and complex on the nose – cherry, blackberry and plum, with earthy chocolate hints. It shows forest berries and red fruits on the palate, with delicate vanilla over a dense structure of textured, velvety tannins. Still very young, it’s an elegant wine, with a long, balanced finish and plush tannins. One that will age very well for some years to come.”

And for the rest of the news:

Three years ago, Paolo planted a two-hectare plot – an extension to the vineyards he already has up in the hills of Rufina. He hadn’t established a new vineyard for some time so he was thrilled by the prospect. Half is, unusually, dedicated to Syrah and the other half to Sangiovese. Due to the youth of the vines, then the frost, Paolo has yet to harvest any grapes from the new vineyard, so he hasn’t yet been able to assess how the vines are shaping up. Hopefully he will in 2024. Then he can decide where best to use the grapes – to add to an existing wine in their portfolio, or to create a new one.

Sustainability:

This is at the forefront for all our Vineyard Partner estates. Anna Rita explained that due to the change in climate, increasingly “one of the main challenges is lack of water, the strength of the sun and the heat spikes compared to past years … that means alcohol levels are significantly higher.”

They are doing what they can to be sustainable – reducing water consumption and being as sparing as possible with energy, plus they’re hoping to get state funding this year to install solar panels.

Vineyard Partner visits:

Anna Rita is delighted to have three parties of Vineyard Partners booked in to stay at Fattoria di Basciano – in September and October 2024, and one in May 2025. You will be warmly welcomed. She’s also really looking forward to meeting everyone on the Vineyard Partner Tour in June this year and is promising a special visit.

Some Vineyard Partners will have met Paolo and Anna Rita at this year’s Wine Festival too – they come every year and are always delighted to see old faces and meet new customers too.

Enjoying Il Corto 2021

Once your Il Corto 2021 has been delivered, let it rest a week or so before getting the corkscrew out. Best to open it early and decant it, so the wine opens out. It’ll make fine drinking for the next decade, becoming increasingly complex with age. An excellent partner to Bistecca alla Fiorentina or pasta with ragù sauce.