The goal of Pier Luigi Tolaini was to produce a great wine without compromise in the style of the distinguished Bordeaux Châteaux. Picconero is produced only in the best vintages and only from the fruit of the best parcels of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Once harvested, the grapes undergo 3 selection processes before only the whole berries are transferred to the French oak fermenters. The temperature is controlled while the skins are kept in contact with the wine for 30 days. Manual pushdowns and pump-overs are done every 4-6 hrs with 1 Rack and Return per week. The wine is then kept in the cellar for 18 months of aging in new barriques, including 6 months on the lees. The wine is bottled and rests another 12 months before shipping.
The extreme attention to detail starts in the vineyard with green harvests enhancing the quality of the fruit on the vine, giving life to a great wine with complexity, sensuality, and elegance, and the promise of a long life. The name Picconero comes from Picco, the Italian word for “peak” and Nero, the Italian word for black, which Italians use historically to refer to red wine.
This superstar Super-Tuscan is a blockbuster! Rich, concentrated, and muscular, yet wonderfully balanced with deep tiers of cherry, plums, and wild berries, and nuances of spice and currants. A long flavorful aftertaste echoes with juicy fruit and mouthwatering tannins for minutes afterward.