Platinum medal-winning blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot: tastes of blueberry muffin, rosemary and sea salt

Despite its age, this well-developed 2013 vintage of Villa Pinciana Terraria is still so incredibly fresh. The flavour of blueberry has evolved, and is now more like blueberry muffin. It’s underpinned by flavours of kirsch, rosemary and a touch of saltiness from the nearby Tyrrhenian sea.

We became very interested in this wine when we learned that the 2012 vintage was served on Pope Francis’ private flight. Apparently His Holiness drank it on an Apostolic visit to Mozambique (pictured). We humbly thought that, if it was good enough for His Holiness, it should be good enough for our customers, too. The next vintage (2013) went on to lift the Platinum Medal from Decanter; achieving a very impressive score of 97 points.

Terraria comes from Maremma Toscana – the land washed by the Tyrrhenian sea at the southern edge of Tuscany. Cabernet Sauvignon needs a lot of sun to ripen well, and shows its full strength here with deep flavours of blackberry. Sangiovese adds even more depth, with flavours of kirsch rather than the lively red cherry you’d find further north in the mountains of Chianti Classico. What really defines the terroir at Villa Pinciana is its location just by the sea. The morning mist and the evening breeze that come off the water cool the vineyard down, helping the grapes to maintain their crisp acidity and freshness.

Here’s what the Decanter Magazine wrote about this wine: “Very Bordeaux in style…buoyant with flavour and textural through the long and rich finish. An ageing vinous beauty, with plenty of life left.”

Tasting note

I was really surprised by how fresh this wine was for a 2013 vintage – it must be the influence of Sangiovese. Wines typically have far more complex aromas than tastes. But this wine is quite different – when you sip there’s so much going on. It has an unusual, but very pleasant flavour combination of blueberry muffin, kirsch, rosemary and a touch of saltiness. What can I say? The person who buys wine for His Holiness knows their job.

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 – 97 points, Platinum Medal (2013 vintage) | The WineHunter 2020 – Rosso (2013 vintage) | Gambero Rosso 2019 – Two Glasses (2013 vintage) | Mundus Vini 2019 – Gold Award (2013 vintage)