TENUTA SETTE PONTI | Crognolo | Toscana | 2018
sangiovese | merlot

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Tenuta Sette Ponti has become part of the Moretti family’s when Alberto Moretti bought the initial 50 hectares directly from the princesses Margherita and Maria Cristina Savoia-Aosta. It is in Bolgheri that Antonio Moretti (the son of Alberto Moretti) has left his footprint (Orma in italian). Toscana has long boasted an impressive reputation in the world of great wines, earning its prestige as one of the most impressive and creative production areas in the world of wine as a result of a number of forward-thinking producers that experimented with international grape varieties like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Today we will review a genuine Super Tuscan wine blend from the famous Toscana region – Crognolo Toscana 2018 by Tenuta Sette Ponti. This wine is a blend of sangiovese (90% – sourced from clones from the oldest vineyard on the estate: Vigna dell’Impero, which was planted by Amedeo, Duke of Savoy-Aosta in 1935) and merlot (10%), sourced from the estate’s vineyards that are planted on south-facing slopes on marl-rich and stony soils, where sangiovese forms the wine’s main body and structure, while merlot rounds up and smoothens the blend and brings red fruits flavours to the foreground. Crognolo was first made in 1998 and it takes its name from a wild plant that grows abundantly on the estate – the cornelian cherry (or cornus mas in italian). This wine represents the vision of its creator, intended to express in the best possible way the elegance and finesse of the local terroir – aged for only 6 months in used french oak barriques (in order to preserve the pure characteristics of the grapes and to avoid spoiling those delicate terroir notes) and another 6 months in the bottle before being released on the market. But enough theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-depth garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & elegant
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | redcurrant | red plum | sour cherry | wolfberry
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: herbal | spice | oak | earthy
__herbal: mint | wormwood | eucalyptus | rosemary
__spice: red pepper | cloves | paprika | thyme
__oak: sun-dried oakwood | cherry tree wood
__earthy: marl | clay | brown soil 
primary layer: fruit & herbs

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: medium+
tannin: high
__grip: fine-grained
balance: fine
__dominant: none
body: supple | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice
finish: long
aftertaste: velvety

//Scoring
TENUTA SETTE PONTI | Crognolo | Toscana | 2018
variety: sangiovese | merlot
country: Italy
region: Toscana
rating: 94.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3 to 5 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
predicted rating: 92

//RP Rating
actual RP rating: 93
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This is definitely a great wine of Italy and, with a total of 94.7 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a velvety, elegant and very supple wine, with a voluptuous and well structured mouthfeel – a wine that is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it 3 to 5 more years of bottle ageing in order to allow it to reach its full potential. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of ripe and overripe red fruits and dried herbs in the foreground, followed by a spicy and earthy background and a very subtle, oak-derived layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-watering acidity, fine-grained tannins and just a touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which nicely evolves into a very appealing, seedy-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a very fine and round wine blend that feels harmonious and noble. For the best food & wine experience, we would recommend to pair it with naturally-flavoured meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with wild mushrooms and cognac cream. Enjoy!

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