2012 Gianfranco Soldera IGT Tuscany

100% Sangiovese. A similar year to 2011 with cool, wet, but much shorter bloom-to-véraison phase, and a hot, dry véraison-to-harvest phase. Harvested 17 September. As with 2011, intense selection, spontaneous fermentation, no temperature control, made in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats. Spontaneous malo which took four weeks to complete. Aged for 50 months in Slavonian oak barrels. Bottled without filtering or fining. At bottling, the wine contained 54 mg/l of total SO2 (of which 19 mg/L as free SO2), RS 0 g/l. Total production of 2012 is just 3,600 bottles. Deeper ruby than the 2011. Rich and ripe. Almost gamey. Masses of sweetness and heat. Great polish. Slightly raw but very promising. Really perfumed and pungent. Very long. Still chewy. Drink between 2024-2040 Score: 18.5 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, June 2017