Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro

Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro is a red wine made by Podere Il Castellaccio, the agricultural company located in the town of Castagneto Carducci, in the province of Livorno (in the Tuscany region), in central Italy.

On top of a Segalari hill, along the Etruscan Coast and overlooking the sea, lies this estate that has belonged to the Scappini family since 1960, and is now entering a new era since Alessandro, the latest generation of the family, took on the business in 2009. Since then, this company has been dedicated to the cultivation and production of both oils and wines, including Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro, a single-variety Sangiovese red wine (one of the most widely used grapes in the country).

Sangiovese is one of the most defining grapes of Italian wine in general and of Tuscan wines in particular. This variety is grown in 18 of the 20 Italian regions. To make the Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro wine, this grape, whose name literally means Jupiter's blood, grows at an altitude between 100-160 metres above sea level. The vines, cultivated organically, are 50 years old and grow on schist soils under a Mediterranean climate, with very long summers and mild winters, bathed in sunshine for most of the day. Here, the fact that the grapes face the sea plays a key role, because the constant breezes throughout the year influence the creation of a perfect microclimate for the 15 hectares that are divided between vineyards, olive groves, forests and an area for horse breeding (these horses are used to till the soil).

The grapes used to make Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October. In the winery, which has been renovated to include advanced winemaking technology, Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro ferments in 20hL wooden barrels. This is followed by a post-fermentation maceration of several weeks, where the wine remains in contact with the skins. After racking, Podere Il Castellaccio Dinostro is aged for one year in 20 hL wooden barrels and another 6 months in the bottle before being released.