“Granomelo”, Toscana Rosso

“Granomelo”—a play on the name of the cru Melogranino from which it is sourced—is 100% Sangiovese from south-facing slopes of sandy clay and silt, planted 20 years ago by Maria Sole’s father. For this cuvée, she employs a longer maceration of three weeks and uses only cement for the fermentation, then ages the wine a full two winters in Slavonian-oak botti before bottling it without fining or filtration. This displays a frank and mesmerizing purity of fruit, but with a great sense of earthiness and a tenacious cling on the palate; it’s a union of sand-derived elegance and a certain wildness of spirit.