NEW RELEASE
2021 Cabernet Franc, Poggio de'Colli, Piaggia
£270 per 6 bottle case in bond
Piaggia has been at the top of its game for longer than I can recount. What’s more, the wines here are getting even better.
Eric Guido - August 2023
Sometimes you read a critic’s note after you have tasted a wine and you wonder whether they were tasting the same wine. In fact, it probably happens more often that you think. This is one of those instances.
Sometimes I put it down to when the wine was tasted, or how quickly the wine was tasted. We taste a lot of samples in our London office, often revisiting the more compelling examples over the course of the day. The wines have ample chance to open out – occasionally we will even decant after first tasting to see how the wine develops. Sometimes I do wonder if the wine has come together since the critic first tasted, who knows. All I can say is that my impression of Piaggia’s Poggio de’ Colli Cabernet Franc 2021 is far ahead of the Vinous note.
Piaggia is situated in the commune of Poggio a Caiano within the Carmignano DOCG, about 14 kilometres west of Florence. The estate was established in the 1970s by Mauro Vannucci, who was drawn to this location, convinced that he could produce a great Carmignano from this site, given its excellent exposure. The first vintage of Piaggia Carmignano Riserva that he produced was the 1991, and it was around this time that he supplemented the estate’s vineyard holding with an additional 15 hectares in a prime area near the centre of the Carmignano district. It is Mauro’s daughter, Silvia, who is the current owner of this 25-hectare estate, which comprises five different vineyard parcels.
We have offered various wines from Piaggia in the trio of very fine Tuscan vintages: 2019, 2020 and 2021. When I first encountered the estate, I couldn’t quite understand why they were not better known given the quality on show. One of the reasons is perhaps that Carmignano, despite being historically recognised for the quality of its wines, is a very small DOCG, or appellation, covering around 110 hectares today. To place that into context, it is about the size of the vineyard mass of Château Lafite-Rothschild, with the crucial difference being that it is shared between some 20 or so producers.
In terms of climate, the Apennines exert a significant influence here; there is a wide range in daily temperatures that assists in retaining freshness and aromatics. The soils consist of limestone and are well-drained. Along with the indigenous Sangiovese, the Cabernets, Franc and Sauvignon, play a role in many of the wines in Carmignano, but these are no recent additions to the rollcall of varieties grown here – Catherine de’ Medici is said to have brought the varieties to the hills of Carmignano in the 16th century when she became queen of France.
In one of Eric Guido’s reviews on vinous.com, he commented that ‘At this time, the vineyard totals stand at 22 hectares; yet, even as they grow, the quality here remains amazingly high. In fact, other wineries in Carmignano are starting to shine internationally, Piaggia remains its benchmark producer. With a focus on fruit and terroir, Silvia Vannucci continues to dial back on the use of new oak, and the wines really light up the palate as a result. However, oak is used throughout the portfolio as an accent more than an ingredient.’ The added benefit of these wines coming from a small and oft-overlooked region of Tuscany is that the prices remain incredibly keen. I would add that I am yet to be disappointed by a bottle of Piaggia – a comment I do not make lightly.
As I have commented before, the Piaggia wines reveal an easily won ripeness allied to a terrific freshness, clarity, and purity. That is it in a nutshell. There is a terrific sense of poise, which is due to a combination of factors, such as the vineyard site itself, the viticultural practices employed, and the winemaking decisions taken. Above all, it is down to a fanatical focus on quality.
And coming full circle for a moment and returning to the topic of critics’ notes. I like the way Eric Guido writes – his articles are a very good read. However, Eric tasted in August last year, I tasted from one bottle two weeks ago and another today. Ten months is a serious amount of time in the evolution of a young wine. It allows a recently bottled wine the chance to settle and for the components to come together. Too often critics, and trade buyers, have a fleeting taste of a young wine and form a definitive opinion on the qualities of a resultant wine based on a young sample. All I can say is take a look at my note as I can only say it as I see it and, to me, this is hugely impressive Cabernet Franc that is shaking off its youthful austerity and is now starting to show as a compelling example from a very fine vintage.
2021 Cabernet Franc, Poggio de'Colli, Piaggia
£270 per 6 bottle case in bond
Showing bright in the glass, with enticing classically Cabernet Franc aromas on the nose of juicy raspberry/ loganberry fruit and an intriguing leafiness – a positive connotation with the variety. This vintage took a while to open out – I left it in the bottle for an hour. It is less Tuscan in style than you might imagine, the oak is very discreet so it differs dramatically from many other Tuscan Cabernet Franc with which you might be familiar. In fact, it seems a little more Bordelais in profile (Bordeaux clones?), over and above the 2020 version. Racy, juicy fresh fruit infused with spice courses across the palate underscored by a stony, almost saline mineral note. The vibrancy of the style is hugely impressive as are the finely expressed tannins. This is an impressive, individual wine that will surely age beautifully over the next decade and beyond. A deft hand has crafted a fascinating and captivating wine. Drink 2025-2036+ (SL)
94 points, Eric Guido, vinous.com, August 2023
The 2021 Poggio de Colli, 100% Cabernet Franc, is stunning. It’s peppery and floral throughout, with masses of crushed strawberry and raspberry spiced up by tangerine zest. This impresses further with its wiry textures offset by tantalizing acidity. A core of tart wild berry fruit cascades across the palate, underscored by saline minerals and hints of citrus. Fine-grained tannins emerge through the finish as the 2021 tapers off spicy yet fresh, leaving the mouth watering despite its structure and intensity. This is a ripe vintage for Poggio de Colli, yet it is still a glorious Cabernet Franc that will pay dividends in the cellar. Drink 2025-2031.