Everything that I do is about educating, whether it’s teaching or consulting. We look at the entire world of wine – the business end, the viniculture; viticulture and how everything works – not only how it tastes or smells. 

‘Mathilde’ Rosato from Cosimo Maria Masini Tuscany

Cosimo Maria Masini

Matilde Rosato

Toscana, Italy

90% Sangiovese 10% Sanforte

 

This is a rose I look forward to every summer, and it drinks beautifully all year long. A bit more ‘substantial’ than a provencal rose, it is made from Sangiovese an an old indegenous Tuscan variety called SanForte. SanForte has a lot of the same properties as Sangiovese, with added violet aromatics and a bit of savouriness.

This wine was fresh and red cherried with an earthy minerality cutting through it. So great with cold smoked Alaskan salmon and baby Kale salad. 

 

The grapes were hand harvested with whole bunch pressing after about 5 hours of maceration on the skins and fermented with wild yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel, where it sits for 4 months on the lees before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

 

Cosimo Maria Masini is a labour of love that started in 2000 when the Masini family purchased the estate. They are located on the hills of an old medieval village of San Miniato in the heart of Tuscany. The estate is certified Biodynamic (Demeter) and focuses on indigenous varieties of the regions. They also produce Olive oil and hold educational tours and cooking classes to help people understand biodynamics.

Biodynamics, like organic farming, uses no added synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, but it goes  further. Where Organics strives not to put anything back into the environment or the earth that is harmful, Biodyamics tries to restore what has been depleted. They treat the whole vineyard as one big living organism and follow principles that work with the lunar cycle. They add natural homeopathic tinctures, teas and composts to build up the microbes in the soil, and the vines environment. 

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