Winemaker Notes
Very intense, almost impenetrable, clear ruby red colour. Aromas of ripe fruit, embellished with elegant hints of tobacco, chocolate and sweet spices. On the palate it expresses a powerful structure but also, with a measured balance, soft fruit against the round and mature tannins. The finish is long and fruity.
It goes well with red meat and game, extra mature cheeses and quality cured meats.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This has mellowed nicely, with black currant, black cherry, violet, vanilla, cedar and earth flavors. Shows finesse and intensity, along with excellent balance and a lingering aftertaste that echoes the fruit and oak spice, picking up a hint of wild herbs too. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040. 3,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.
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James Suckling
A meaty, flavorful Carmignano Riserva with plenty of hazelnut chocolate, pine cones, cigar box and ripe cherries. This is juicy, full-bodied and generous with fine-grained tannins and a long, creamy finish with plenty of vanilla and berries. Give it one more year to let the oak spices come together.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The Piaggia 2020 Carmignano Riserva (in a heavy glass bottle) shows an inky dark appearance with creamy aromas of dark fruit, cherry confit, sweet spice and pastry cream. There are background tones of balsam herb, dried herb and cola.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
With recorded history of red wine production since the Middle Ages, Carmignano is a small, ancient, central Italian subregion ten miles northwest of Florence. Carmignano grows Sangiovese with great success in low-lying hills of 160 to 650 feet above sea level.
It is the only Tuscan DOC that required the inclusion of (up to 20%) Cabernet Sauvignon in its Sangiovese-based wines years before it became popular in the Super Tuscan blends.