2017 Tenuta di Ceppaiano - Toscana Rosso IGT Keith Haring

Tenuta di Ceppaiano belongs to the Castellani family, Tuscan winemakers who have exported their wines since the early 1900s and built a reputation on careful vineyard selection along the Tyrrhenian coast. This particular bottling grew out of a friendship between winemaker Piergiorgio Castellani and artist Keith Haring, formed while the two worked together on Haring's Tuttomondo mural in Pisa. Haring later designed a label for the family, and decades afterward the Castellanis released this commemorative cuvee in his honor, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Keith Haring Foundation.

The wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, grown on the sandy, mineral-rich soils near the estate's coastal vineyards. Grapes are harvested and fermented promptly in the winery's modern cellar, and the finished blend spends time aging in oak barrels, which lends the wine its rounded texture and layer of spice.

Aromas of wild rose, dark cherry, and cassis mingle with licorice, vanilla, cedar, and a touch of tobacco, while the palate is medium to full bodied with fine, velvety tannins and a spiced finish. Its structure and warmth make it a natural match for rotisserie chicken with rosemary, grilled lamb, or spiced Mediterranean vegetable dishes.