Occhio di Pernice

Vin Santo di Montepulciano D.O.C. Toscana 2010


Literally holy wine, the Vin Santo is a sweet wine deeply rooted in Tuscan tradition. The first references date back to the Renaissance, which is also when the Avignonesi family first came on the scene. To this date our Vin Santo and Occhio di Pernice are produced with the madre (yeast) that has been passed on for generations and provides that ethereal taste. This sweet wine is the result of an exceptionally long ageing process during which over half of this precious liquid evaporates. It has been calculated that with the same amount of grapes used to produce one of our 375 ml bottle you can produce twenty-four 750 ml bottles of wine.

Dense and mysterious, the Occhio di Pernice reveals a complex and enveloping bouquet with aromas of dried plums and dates, propolis, gingerbread, malaga and tobacco. In the mouth it is sweet and spicy and the olfactory notes return, expanding with those of dried apricots and smoked hazelnut with small nuances of Christmas spices. A wine that surprises with every sip for its concentration and depth. The aftertaste persistence is incredibly long.

GRAPES

100% Sangiovese

HARVEST

The grapes have been hand-picked from the best vineyard parcels and placed in small, vine leaf-coated bins.

VINIFICATION

The grapes are laid out for a few months on straw mats in the “appassitoio” (drying room). They are then softly pressed and the must is transferred in “caratelli” (50-liter oak casks) for a slow, natural fermentation with the aid of an indigenous yeast known as “madre”.

AGEING

More than 10 years in “caratelli”

AWARDS

2005: 97 pts Wine Spectator
2002: 98 pts Decanter | 98 pts Wine Advocate | 96 pts Wine Spectator | 94 pts Wine Enthusiast
2001: 98 pts Wine Spectator | 100 pts Wine Advocate | 94 pts Vinous