Vin Santo di Carmignano

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The core of the Montalbano ridge is formed by "macigno", a formation of graded quartz-feldspar sandstones of Oligocene age.
• On the north-eastern slope, the macigno is overlain by the chaotic complex of scaly clays (argille scagliose), composed of argillaceous schists of varying colours that incorporate blocks of limestone, sandstone, and occasionally ophiolitic breccias.
• To the north and south of Carmignano, outcrops of alberese — a whitish marly limestone with a conchoidal fracture — emerge across wide areas, while the ridge culminates at 611 metres above sea level at Poggio al Ciliegio.
• Soils derived from the sandstones are loose, sandy loam, slightly acidic, and well supplied with potassium, while those derived from the clay complex and marly limestones have a fine, clay-loam or clay texture.
• The proximity of the Apennines and the cool winds that frequently temper summer nights produce an excellent diurnal temperature range, with mean annual rainfall below one thousand millimetres.

• In 1716, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici issued a decree to define clearly and unequivocally the boundaries of the Carmignano wine-production zone.
• Vin Santo di Carmignano is produced following an ancient recipe handed down through generations, beginning with the scelti — a manual harvest with selection of the finest, and where possible loosely berried, bunches.
• The grapes dry on mats, in crates, or hung in ventilated rooms; the whole bunches are then pressed, and the must ferments and matures in small oak or chestnut barrels (caratelli) of 20 to 300 litres, where it may remain for several years.
• At the end of the nineteenth century, the Occhio di Pernice from the Niccolini cellars was prized and exported throughout the world.

• Vin Santo di Carmignano presents an intense, complex, and refined nose, while on the palate it is balanced, persistent, and harmonious.
• The colour ranges from straw yellow through golden to deep amber, with a harmonious and velvety flavour, rounder in the amabile style. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The long growing season, favoured by good aspect and modest elevations, allows regular and complete ripening of the grapes even in less favourable vintages.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1669
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini di Carmignano