2020 Sapaio - Toscana Rosso IGT Sapaio (750ml)

Podere Sapaio began in 1999, when Massimo Piccin, an engineer from Vittorio Veneto, left his family's construction business behind to chase a dream of making wine in Tuscany. He found his site along a chain of hills running from Castagneto Carducci down toward the Tyrrhenian Sea, eventually expanding into the neighboring area of Bibbona. Because that added land falls just outside the Bolgheri DOC boundary, the estate's flagship wine has been released as Toscana IGT since 2015, giving Piccin the freedom to blend fruit from both terroirs into a single expression.

Sapaio is built mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon, with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc rounding out the blend. The vineyards, planted between 2000 and 2005 under the guidance of consulting agronomist Carlo Ferrini, are trained on a double cordon system at high density to keep yields in balance. After fermentation, the wine ages for about fourteen months in French oak, split between barriques and larger tonneaux, before the final blend is assembled and bottled.

The 2020 opens with blackcurrant, ripe blackberry, and dark cherry, layered with violet, cedar, graphite, and Mediterranean herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with firm structure balanced by real polish and length. It pairs naturally with grilled tagliata di manzo, aged hard cheese, or a rich game stew.