Casa Raia

A rich, oppulent Rosso Toscana primarily composed of Brunello aka Sangiovese Grosso fruit planted on a north facing slope by Pierre-Jean in nearby Il Pozzo in 2011. The vineyard also has a ~10% smattering of Cabernet, Merlot, and Canaiolo, bumping it from Brunello into the realm of the Super-Tuscan, Toscana Rosso IGT. The wine's title 'Bevilo' is Italian for 'you drink it', suggesting you can pop this on release and enjoy it while your Brunello ages. It honestly feels a bit too cheeky a name consider how serious the wine is; while earlier drinking for sure, the Bevilo has plenty of cellar potential of its own.

In the glass, the aroma is generous and intense. Wow-factor for days! Just a massive depth of fragrance and flavour. Tobacco, plum, dried cherry, fig, thyme, and nutmeg abound. The oak profile is voluptuous and impressive, but Pierre-Jean succeeds in not overpowering this handsome fruit profile. The tannins are gentler and less extracted than the Brunello's, sculpted for earlier drinking but certainly not dumpy or tired. In short, it's a full-bodied stunner that's approachable now but also has the structure to improve over another five to ten years. A naturally produced Super-Tuscan that can go the distance—it doesn’t get much better than that!