Castello di Potentino Sacromonte
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*Pick up orders are available next day for pick upThe first documented proof of Castello di Potentino goes back to 1042 and a certain Count Pietrone. What followed was ownership by a series of noble Tuscan families - the Tolomei, the Bonsignori, and the Salimbeni. By the 1500’s the castle became a center for the hospital order of Santa Maria della Scala. Subsequently the castle was bequeathed by Duke Ferdinando to Marchese Giovan Battista Bourbon del Monte, commander-in-chief of the infantry of the Venetian Republic. Passed down through the generations, it was sold to Antonio Hemmeler, in 1906. More recently, Castello di Potentino was bought and restored by the Greene family, who have a proud history in the literary community.
The wines are made by Charlotte Horton, a 20 year veteran of the Tuscan wine industry. Prior to this, she worked in London for Vogue Magazine, Secker and Warburg Publishing House and then as a freelance journalist. When Charlotte planted the first vines on the estate, she recognized that the particular climate would be ideal for not just Sangiovese, but also Pinot Noir and Alicante (the local name for Grenache). Today there are 4 hectares of vineyards, which are tended by hand with minimal intervention. The wines are fermented using only natural yeasts and Charlotte does not employ any industrial aids. The total production of the estate is only 20,000 bottles.
The Sacromonte (meaning "sacred mountain'') is made from 100% Sangiovese. The wine was fermented in 50 hl French oak barrels, and matured in barrels of the same size for 24 months. Medium garnet in hue, it displays classically moreish Sangiovese notes of sour cherries, red plums, roasted sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and espresso ground. This is a delicious Sangiovese from a lesser known area of Tuscany, from one of the finest vintages the region has seen in a decade.
