This is a pre-arrival offering that is expected fall 2026. Please order these Moscardini wines separately from the wines of other producers. The minimum order is 3 bottles - mix or match.
Our tasting impressions
Every year, Atteone competes for our wine of the tasting in Gianni's cellar. 2019 is no exception. His special Cabernet Franc is powerful yet finessed. Atteone is a wine of remarkable sophistication. Seven years old and it remains young and a bit tannic. It's certainly a cellar candidate but no shame in popping a bottle soon because the pure, vibrant fruit will charm and amaze. This is simply a great wine that manages to deftly express the variety while leaving no doubt that it hails from the Tuscan Atlantic coast. Bravo!
About this wine
From Moscardini's elite Terroir Line - 100% Cabernet Franc from the Campo Sangiovanni and Reserva vineyard in magmatic-volcanic limestone soil. Grapes are harvested manually with an average yield per plant of 600 grams.
Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. A small amount of whole bunches are included. Maceration is 10 -12 days. Aging is 10 months in 500 liter French oak tonneau then 8 months in bottle. Only 2,700 bottles produced.
About the grape
Cabernet Franc, an ancient variety, thrives in cooler climates because it ripens best slowly. This allows its green, vegetal flavorings to be balanced and nuanced. Green bell pepper is a frequent flavor descriptor of these wines.
Cabernet Franc tends to produce lighter, softer, more acidic and less tannic wines than Cabernet Sauvignon (the latter is an offspring of the former crossed with Sauvignon Blanc). The style of Cabernet Franc wines, which are made all over the world, can range from simple and easy drinking to dark, brooding and substantial. The best can age for decades.
Gianni's perspective on the vintage
2019 was an atypical year with an unusually warm autumn and a rainy and very cold winter. The budding started the second week of April after a return of cold weather. The spring was characterized by considerable precipitation and sun. The temperature was always under the seasonal average.
The summer had average temperatures. This, combined with a good water supply – accumulated during winter and spring – and occasional rains during July and August, helped the vines "catch up" and develop well. The late summer had a good variation between day and night temperatures. Ultimately, the grapes were able to reach perfect phenolic maturation and the harvest began 15 days earlier than usual.
Gianni Moscardini's azienda in the village of Pomaia is in the northern Tuscan Maremma. This is the west coast, near Pisa. The Moscardini family has owned this land for 2 centuries but Gianni was the first to plant vines in its varied soils in 2008.
Production is growing and will soon reach 100,000 bottles annually from 13.5ha at an elevation of about 180m. The southwest-facing vines are trained in either the Guyot or Cordone Speronato system. All of the varieties are planted in at least 2 plots - each with a different soil composition - including some volcanic (YEAH!).
Gianni is an agronimist and his wife Meri is a plant biologist at the National Council of Research in Pisa. Together, they have deeply studied the soils and terroir of their land to determine what varieties will perfom best. Their credo is to produce wines that fit seamlessly with the land, which is why they vinify the grapes from each plot separately prior to blending.
VDLT is the only U.S. source for current offerings Gianni's wonderful, singular wines.
