The soils that produce the fruit for Oreno are a blend of clay, sand and the stony galestro limestone that is special to Tuscany. Clusters are reduced to one or two per stalk in May to assure maximum quality when they are hand harvested in autumn. In the winery, grapes are hand sorted and destemmed. Fermentation occurs in a combination of temperature-controlled and lined, open-top tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation. Oreno is aged in French Allier barriques and in bottle before release.

Tasting notes

Spicy aromas of black fruit and touches of chocolate dominate the nose and palate. The wine is full-bodied, with supple tannins.

Rating

Wine Advocate 90 points (Jun 2007) The deeply-colored 2003 Oreno (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese) is a powerful effort redolent of tobacco, scorched earth and super-ripe, jammy, dark fruit. Warm and ample on the palate, it is a big, backward wine with plenty of structure and a brooding personality. A few years of bottle age may help round out the slightly drying tannins present on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.  Wine Spectator 95 points (Oct 31 2005) Breathtaking. Dense and powerful, with grilled meat and currant aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, round and chewy; a massive and exciting wine. More muscular than the 2001. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2007. —J.S.

Wine maker notes

A green harvest in May reduces clusters to one or two per stock. At harvest the clusters are handpicked, sorted, destemmed, and the skins broken rather than crushed. Fermentation with selected yeasts takes place in a combination of temperature controlled stainless steel and lined open-top fermentors. A maceration period of 25 days including fermentation, with gentle manual punching down of the cap, is followed by natural malolactic fermentation in tank. The wine is placed in new, 225-liter Allier oak barriques for a period of twelve to eighteen months. A first blending of lots takes place when the wine is placed in barrique; a second at the first racking. The finished wine is bottled without filtration and rests one year prior to release.

Technical notes

GRAPE VARIETIES: 50% Sangiovese 25% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5% YIELD: 45 - 50 hl/ha (202 - 225 cases/acre) TOTAL ACIDITY: 5.2 grams/liter pH: 3.6

Food pairing

A delicious companion to full-flavored meats, game and roasts.