Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Dusty, floral and perfumed, the 2022 Carmignano Il Sasso lifts from the glass with a lovely blend of rose petals, incense, lavender pastille and dried currants. The longer it sits in the glass, the more aromatic complexity it gains. It's silky smooth and elegant in style with a slight peppery tinge that adds depth as ripe wild berry fruits slowly saturate throughout. This finishes with tremendous depth and length, punching well above its class as fine-grained tannins add a lovely framework and hints of licorice resonate.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and smooth, offering cherry, black currant and blackberry flavors at its center, accented with earth and wild herbs. A bit chunky yet remains balanced and long. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030. 3,300 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.
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.