Wines

Cignale

Greve

Cignale

Winemaker: Franco Bernabei

Named for the fierce wild boar of the region that both wiped out one of the first vintages and is a great match – as a ragu sauce with pasta – for this wine, Cignale is the vineyard project of Neil Empson, partner Alessandro François and friend and oenologist Franco Bernabei. In 1981, just three hectares of vines were planted across three locations near Greve at 425-500 metres above sea level, to mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Merlot. The various soil types are abundant in nitrogen, a key element of structure and longevity, and yields are notoriously low – incredibly, less than half a tonne per hectare – conferring power, concentration and a long cellar life. The wine undergoes full malolactic and élevage in new and one-year-old French barriques for 18-24 months, before egg white fining (no filtration) and further bottle maturation, being released at 3-4 years from harvest. Cellar life is up to 20 years.

What’s new: The availability of future vintages is set to increase, albeit slightly, since the purchase of an additional 1.5 hectares. More wild boars to come!

Visit the wine-maker's website

Wines
2004 Cignale IGT