2010 Il Pino di Biserno

40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. 6,500 vines/ha. Hand-harvested starting the second week of September and finishing early October. Sorted on a vibrating belt. De-stemmed and soft crushed. Fermentation in stainless steel for three to four weeks at 28°C. 10% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak barrels, the remainder in stainless steel. 80% is aged for 12 months in new and second-use French oak barriques; the remaining is aged in stainless steel vats. The wine is aged for another six months in bottles before release. TA 4.8 g/l, pH 3.8. Concentrated and dense. Dark, rich, slightly jammy fruit with a tinge of char. Sensuous tannins and a gleam as glossy as a black Bentley. Not for those who like understated elegance. (TC)