Sassotondo Poggio Pinzo Ciliegiolo 2020

Sassotondo Poggio Pinzo, the volcanic Ciliegiolo

I'd happily linger over this Maremma Toscana red for a very concrete reason: it tells the story of volcanic soil and a grape variety that has long stayed in the shadows. The Poggio Pinzo Ciliegiolo 2020 combines this singular origin with aging in terracotta amphorae, without trying to mask the character of the grape under oak barrel aging.

A scoria terroir in Maremma

The Sassotondo estate lies in the Sovana and Pitigliano area, in Maremma, not far from Lake Bolsena. Edoardo Ventimiglia and Carla Benini began exploring the winegrowing potential of these lands in 1990, focusing on soils born from volcanic activity and on Ciliegiolo, a grape variety they wished to bring back into the spotlight. The name Poggio Pinzo refers to the volcano whose eruption left the scoria found in the vineyard. Here, geology is therefore not a mere backdrop: it lies at the heart of the wine's identity.

The vines, planted in 1995 on volcanic tuff of medium texture, are farmed organically. The 2020 vintage is made from Ciliegiolo and falls under the Maremma Toscana DOC. After a hand harvest, the destemmed grapes ferment in small terracotta amphorae of 7 to 8 hectoliters. The wine then remains on its skins for twelve months, before being pressed and transferred to stainless steel tanks. This precise journey gives the bottle a personality tied at once to the grape, the place, and the choice of amphora.

The available tasting information does not precisely describe the color or the aromas: I prefer not to invent color or fruit nuances for it. It does, however, place the profile halfway between fruity and spicy, with a rather present body intensity. The grid places it on the side of a young wine rather than one marked by oak, which agrees with its aging in terracotta and then in stainless steel. One can therefore expect a red where fruit and spice echo each other, without either clearly taking the lead. Ciliegiolo remains the guiding thread of this expression, while the volcanic earth gives the wine its geographic anchor.

At the table, simply and generously

I would serve it with roasted or grilled white meats, as well as with red meat: these are the pairings suggested for this wine, and its body should hold its own at the table. For an evening where you want to talk as much about what is in the glass as about its origin, the Poggio Pinzo 2020 offers a concrete subject: an organic Ciliegiolo, vines on volcanic tuff, and amphora aging. Serve it during a meal without ceremony, give it time to open up in the glass, and taste it while thinking of this Maremma landscape that the scoria shaped.