Azienda Agricola Russo Sassobucato Toscana IGT 2022
Full-bodied dry red wine styled as a Tuscan Super-Tuscan blend. · Azienda Agricola Russo di Michele Russo, located in Suvereto, Tuscany. A boutique, family-owned estate known for crafting terroir-driven wines in the Alta Maremma.
Vintage: 2022, characterized by a warm and dry growing season in coastal Tuscany, resulting in ripe fruit profiles and robust structure.
Type
Full-bodied dry red wine styled as a Tuscan Super-Tuscan blend.
Producer
Azienda Agricola Russo di Michele Russo, located in Suvereto, Tuscany. A boutique, family-owned estate known for crafting terroir-driven wines in the Alta Maremma.
Country
Italy, an Old World winemaking leader with diverse native grape varieties and a structured classification system.
Vintage
2022, characterized by a warm and dry growing season in coastal Tuscany, resulting in ripe fruit profiles and robust structure.
Region & Appellation
Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
Grape Varieties
Primarily Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with small percentages of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
Color & Appearance
Deep ruby red with opaque purple reflections and high viscosity indicating concentration.
Aroma Profile
Intense notes of ripe blackberry, plum, cassis, complemented by secondary vanilla, sweet spice, and tertiary hints of leather and tobacco.
Tasting Notes
Rich entry with a velvety mid-palate showing dark fruit and sweet oak spices, leading to a long, warming finish with well-integrated tannins.
Flavor Profile
Ripe black cherry, black plum, cassis, backed by Mediterranean herbs, graphite, vanilla, and dark chocolate notes.
Body & Texture
Full-bodied with a rich, velvety, and supple mouthfeel supported by high extract levels.
Acidity & Tannins
Medium-high acidity providing freshness to balance the warmth, with ripe, fine-grained, velvety tannins.
Sweetness Level
Bone dry with negligible residual sugar.
Alcohol Content
14.5% vol, typical for warm coastal Tuscan Bordeaux-style blends, giving a generous warming sensation.
Aging & Oak
Aged in oak barriques for approximately 12 months, followed by further bottle refinement, imparting subtle vanillin and spice notes.
Food Pairings
Ideal with grilled steaks, roast lamb, game meats, rich stews, and aged hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at 18-19°C in a large Bordeaux glass. Decanting for 1 hour is recommended to open up the complex aromatics.
Price Range
Estimated retail price between $25 and $40 USD, representing excellent value for a Super-Tuscan style wine.
Quality Assessment
Estimated score of 90-92 points. A well-crafted, premium boutique wine showing great balance and regional typicity.
Production Methods
Hand-harvested grapes, temperature-controlled fermentation, maceration on the skins, followed by barrique aging and bottle refinement.
Terroir
Located in Suvereto within the Alta Maremma, featuring unique mineral-rich soils near an old abandoned gray marble quarry, benefiting from coastal breezes and warm Mediterranean sunshine.
History & Heritage
Crafted by Azienda Agricola Russo in Podere La Metocchina, celebrating local geology through the name 'Sassobucato' derived from an old gray marble quarry.
Interesting Facts
The name 'Sassobucato' translates to 'hollowed stone' or 'perforated rock', referencing the old abandoned grey marble quarry located right on the estate grounds.
Cellaring Potential
Drinkable now upon release, but can age gracefully through 2028-2032 in proper cellar conditions, developing more tertiary complexity.
Similar Wines
Bolgheri Rosso blends, Chianti Classico Riserva, and other Maremma Cabernet-Merlot blends such as Guado al Tasso or Le Volte dell'Ornellaia.