2012 Tolaini Valdisanti Toscana

The grapes for this blend come from the estate's 2 vineyards, Montebello and San Giovanni, which are only 4 kms apart. The grapes are manually harvested and then undergo a strict selection process; first as bunches and then once they are destemmed, the whole berries are transferred into French oak fermenters and a portion into stainless steel which undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation. The wine is then raised for 16 months in barriques (70% new), of which 6 months are on the lees. The symbol on the label of the chalice and the serpent was taken from a 16th-century painting in the church bordering the San Giovanni estate. Rutilio Manetti, a famous Tuscan artist, commemorated a story of 2 saints offering gifts to the Madonna. The House of Tolaini has named its wine after the Saints and for the symbolism of Manetti's painting: the fruit representing the richness of our soil and the serpent representing the passion of our labors.-Distributor's Notes