Region: Tuscany, Italy (Costa Toscana IGT)
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc
Body: Medium
Notes: Blackcurrant, crisp blackberry, fresh mountain mint, wild rosemary, sage, wet earth, with vibrant acidity and firm, chalky limestone tannins
Pairing: Rosemary-infused lamb chops, wild boar ragù, roasted game birds, terrines, or hard pecorino cheese
The Producer
Ampeleia is an authoritative, highly visionary natural estate located in Roccatederighi, a medieval village perched in the rugged, high-altitude hills of the Alta Maremma (Costa Toscana). Founded in 2002 as a collaborative passion project involving legendary northern Italian winemaker Elisabetta Foradori, the estate has become one of the absolute pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Tuscany. Today, led under the masterful direction of winemaker Marco Tait, Ampeleia spans a diverse patchwork of altitudes ranging from 200 to 600 meters above sea level. This unique topography allows them to cultivate a wide range of Mediterranean and historical varieties, but it is their work with Cabernet Franc—first planted in the area in the early 1960s—that has turned the estate into a benchmark icon. Fully Demeter-certified, the estate relies entirely on native yeast fermentations, concrete aging vessels, and minimal inputs to create wines of stunning structural purity and transparency.
The Wine
The 2023 Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana is a masterclass in varietal elegance, beautifully demonstrating how this grape thrives on the high-altitude, maritime-influenced clay and fractured galestro limestone soils of the "Vigna dell'Asino" parcel. Often described as a breathtaking stylistic hybrid where the Loire Valley meets the Maremma coast, the fruit is harvested in mid-September at a modest 30 hl/ha to ensure hyper-concentrated flavor components. In the cellar, Marco Tait balances raw fruit energy by utilizing a 15% to 20% whole-cluster carbonic maceration component, while the remaining grapes are carefully destemmed. Fermented completely spontaneously with wild yeasts, the juice is aged for roughly 9 to 10 months exclusively in clean concrete vats to bypass any heavy oak masking and isolate pure varietal character. Bottled entirely unfined and unfiltered with a very low total sulfite measurement (around 27 mg/L), this highly scannable 2023 vintage is fluid and remarkably precise; it seamlessly pairs deep, crunchy dark orchard fruits and a distinctive, cooling mint-and-herbal perfume with a flinty mineral spine and a firm, fine-grained tannin finish.
Region: Tuscany, Italy (Costa Toscana IGT)
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc
Body: Medium
Notes: Blackcurrant, crisp blackberry, fresh mountain mint, wild rosemary, sage, wet earth, with vibrant acidity and firm, chalky limestone tannins
Pairing: Rosemary-infused lamb chops, wild boar ragù, roasted game birds, terrines, or hard pecorino cheese
The Producer
Ampeleia is an authoritative, highly visionary natural estate located in Roccatederighi, a medieval village perched in the rugged, high-altitude hills of the Alta Maremma (Costa Toscana). Founded in 2002 as a collaborative passion project involving legendary northern Italian winemaker Elisabetta Foradori, the estate has become one of the absolute pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Tuscany. Today, led under the masterful direction of winemaker Marco Tait, Ampeleia spans a diverse patchwork of altitudes ranging from 200 to 600 meters above sea level. This unique topography allows them to cultivate a wide range of Mediterranean and historical varieties, but it is their work with Cabernet Franc—first planted in the area in the early 1960s—that has turned the estate into a benchmark icon. Fully Demeter-certified, the estate relies entirely on native yeast fermentations, concrete aging vessels, and minimal inputs to create wines of stunning structural purity and transparency.
The Wine
The 2023 Cabernet Franc Costa Toscana is a masterclass in varietal elegance, beautifully demonstrating how this grape thrives on the high-altitude, maritime-influenced clay and fractured galestro limestone soils of the "Vigna dell'Asino" parcel. Often described as a breathtaking stylistic hybrid where the Loire Valley meets the Maremma coast, the fruit is harvested in mid-September at a modest 30 hl/ha to ensure hyper-concentrated flavor components. In the cellar, Marco Tait balances raw fruit energy by utilizing a 15% to 20% whole-cluster carbonic maceration component, while the remaining grapes are carefully destemmed. Fermented completely spontaneously with wild yeasts, the juice is aged for roughly 9 to 10 months exclusively in clean concrete vats to bypass any heavy oak masking and isolate pure varietal character. Bottled entirely unfined and unfiltered with a very low total sulfite measurement (around 27 mg/L), this highly scannable 2023 vintage is fluid and remarkably precise; it seamlessly pairs deep, crunchy dark orchard fruits and a distinctive, cooling mint-and-herbal perfume with a flinty mineral spine and a firm, fine-grained tannin finish.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention from the winemaker, using organically or biodynamically grown grapes and without the addition of chemicals or additives such as sulfites. The result is a wine that is unique, expressive, and often has a more complex and nuanced flavor profile than conventional wines. Natural wine is also often associated with sustainable and ethical farming practices, making it a popular choice for those interested in environmentally friendly and socially responsible products.