2015 Villa Saletta AD 980

The year 980 is the first year where the first sighting of wine making at Villa Saletta has been found. A whole history behind a winery, which is why they make their wines completely traditional. Since 2000, the winery has been owned by Guy and Julia Hands.

Only perfect berries are used, using small new barrels of Allier French oak with integral fermentation. Perlè vats are also used, which create a 'redox atmosphere'. This reduces the amount of oxygen to which the grapes are exposed, so that the first drops of wine develop slowly on the skin. This preserves freshness and aroma while extracting color and roundness for an elegant and supple soft tannin structure.

In all wines, the must undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels. This converts the sharp acidity into smoother, more buttery flavors. They are one of the few Italian companies that does this full (and expensive) mallolactic fermentation in new oak and is a technique that is more associated with the (top) bordeaux wines.

The 980 AD is only made in magnum format and the 980 AD is a reference to the year they found the first record of winemaking at Villa Saletta. The Villa Saletta AD 980 is only made in the good years and 980 magnums are made of the 2015 vintage. The wine has a very velvety attack, rich in concentrated fruits such as cherries, raspberries, blueberries and cassis fruit. Very complex but also very elegant wine with flavors of black pepper and vanilla. This Super Tuscan in a 100% Cabernet Franc which has matured for 24 months in French oak and then had a further 6 months in the bottle.

94/100 Suckling