Sassotondo Monte Calvo Ciliegiolo 2023

Sassotondo Monte Calvo, volcanic Ciliegiolo

In the Monte Calvo Ciliegiolo 2023, I first note the close link between a grape variety and the volcanic soils of the Maremma. This organic red, aged in large oak casks, is described as agile and dynamic, while keeping elegance and flavor. A way to taste Ciliegiolo beyond mere local curiosity, without attributing aromas that the available notes do not specify.

Sassotondo, at the foot of Monte Calvo

The Sassotondo estate is located in Sovana, in the Tuscan Maremma, at the foot of Monte Calvo and within the Volsini volcanic district. Edoardo Ventimiglia, a cameraman, and his wife Carla Benini, a consultant, settled there in 1990 after leaving Rome. They were then among the first to bet on the potential of this region, between cliffs and volcanic soils, still little known. The estate has twelve hectares of vines: nine devoted to red varieties and three to white.

This 2023 is made exclusively from Ciliegiolo, grown organically. The strong variability of the soils led the estate to distinguish seven micro-terroirs, which give rise to seven different expressions of the grape variety. For Monte Calvo, the grapes are harvested and hand-sorted. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, then the wine spends twelve months in large oak casks and six months in bottle before release. It is presented in the DOC Maremma Toscana style.

The tasting notes outline a medium-bodied profile, with a balanced fruity and spicy presence rather than a dominant one; the oak remains discreet on the proposed scale. The wine is also described as supple in its movement, yet elegant and flavorful. I cannot specify its color or name any fruits or spices: the available notes do not detail them. This restraint mainly reveals what is established: a Ciliegiolo red in which plot-by-plot work and aging in large oak casks count as much as the grape variety.

At the table, without complicating the moment

I would serve it with white meats, cured meats or red meat, pairings suggested for this wine. You can thus choose according to the meal: a plate of cured meats for a simple dinner, or a meat dish for a more generous table. Its profile, described as agile and medium-bodied, makes it suitable for both settings, without implying that it requires any particular preparation. If you are interested in less familiar Tuscan grape varieties, this Monte Calvo offers a concrete opportunity to explore Ciliegiolo and the diversity of Sassotondo's volcanic terroirs, one glass after another.