Review: 2019 Sapaio Toscana IGT

Podere Sapaio’s eponymous Supertuscan is a standout from the moment you open the bottle. (The name comes from Sapaia, a very old Tuscan grape variety.) A blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% petit verdot, and 10% cabernet franc, the wine spends 18 months in barriques and 12 months in bottle before release. The opulence of cabernet is fully filtered through the elegance of Tuscany here, a core of cherries (foremost) and currants laced with a significant herbaceous quality — mint leaves, sage, pipe tobacco, and gentle lashings of oak. A delicate layer of licorice lingers on the lasting finish, which sees touches of bay leaf and a drop of vanilla. Impossibly rich with silky tannins, there’s still enough acidity here to keep things lively and quaffable — it’s a delight with a hearty Italian meal, but I’ve been sipping it solo after dinner concluded for the better part of an hour.

An outstanding wine worth cellaring — or drinking immediately.

A / $94 / sapaio.com

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