“For me there is no comparison to the wine that comes from Sangiovese out of Tuscany soils like galestro and albarese anywhere in the world. Its ability to showcase terroir is greater than any other variety on the peninsula besides Nebbiolo.”
– Randall Restiano, Beverage Director of Eataly NYC & former Wine Director at three-Michelin-star Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare.
In her Forbes Article, Susan H. Gordon sits down with Restiano to talk about what makes Sangiovese one of the most important grapes in Italy. His response coincides with LXV’s biggest passion – terroir, terroir, terroir!
LXV’s search and passion for the perfect terroir is reflected in each vintage of wine produced. For Neeta, it was a no-brainer to use this beautiful grape with its chameleon-like capability and combine it with the terroir that represents its origin in a deeply expressive way.
The intention of our reserve wines is to focus on a single varietal from a specific vineyard. This uniquely influences and creates the wine you will now enjoy.
Sangiovese’s Impact on the Central Coast
“From the North Coast to Central Coast, winemakers make good use of a host of Italian grapes. These bottles offer a bit of variety and excitement against a sea of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming from the state.” – Wine Enthusiast.
More and more winemakers are experimenting with these lesser-known Italian varietals in California. The terroir in California is often said to be extremely similar to a Mediterranean climate, making the state an excellent location choice for varieties such as Sangiovese. Our very own LXV Armaa.N Vineyard in the Willow Creek District, the heart of West Paso, is now home to a block of Sangiovese vines.
Santa Ynez Vineyard – Home of our 2019 Reserve Sangiovese
Our 2019 Reserve Sangiovese is sourced solely from Santa Ynez Vineyard located in the eastern area of the Happy Canyon AVA in Santa Barbara County. The low yielding vines at this site create a concentrated, more European influenced wine. The site is full of depleted limestone and shells with its soil adding to the wine’s powerful acidity and intense flavors.
Santa Ynez Vineyard, being a warmer climate site, gives the wine a more robust and grand style – resembling that of a Chianti Classico. For those who are fans of our Sangiovese or are curious and new to the varietal, our Sangiovese is comparable to a Rosso Toscana – Riecine di Riecine: the real expression of what a Sangiovese can do.
Harvesting & Aging our 2019 Reserve Sangiovese
The grapes were harvested on September 26th, 2019. Post harvest, they were fermented and macerated on skins for 21 days. The juice was then aged in one neutral and one new French Oak Puncheon for a total of 20 months.
WINEMAKER DIARIES
Here’s our favorite Paso Robles Winemaker, Jeff Strekas, coming to you live straight from LXV’s Armaa.N Vineyard to give us additional tasting notes for our 2019 Reserve Sangiovese.
Tasting our Robust 2019 Reserve Sangiovese:
An explosion of bright red fruit on your palate
This intense red wine has dense dark berry notes along with an amazingly powerful acidity that goes straight from the front to the back of your palate. Bright red fruit notes of cherries, strawberries dance across the tongue. The long finish will linger in your mouth until, wanting more, you reach for a sip from your glass and the whole experience repeats itself.