Tenuta Degli Dei Cavalli Toscana IGT

Cavalli Toscana Rosso IGT from Tenuta degli Dei

A ripe red from Tuscany with French roots

In 2000, Tommaso Cavalli made the decision to grow wine on the hills of Tenuta degli Dei. He had previously devoted himself - very successfully - to breeding trotting horses. He sought expert help for the "Cavalli wine" project in the person of star oenologist Carlo Ferrini. Due to the orientation and altitude of the vineyards, the two decided to grow only the international grape varieties Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. And so it came about that the first wine produced by Tommaso in 2004 not only bore the name Cavalli, but that it was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from the very beginning - a kind of Tuscan Frenchman. The grapes are harvested and processed with the utmost care. After vinification in steel tanks, the wine matures for 18 months in oak barrels. This is followed by a further 12 months of ageing and resting in the bottle. By the way: This cosmopolitan drinking pleasure is also available in a 1.5 liter magnum bottle, which, in its beautiful wooden crate, makes an excellent gift for a birthday, Christmas or name day - or perhaps simply as a present for yourself...

Cavalli: red wines with international stature and Tuscan roots

Cavalli Toscana Rosso IGT was the first red wine produced in the Tenuta degli Dei cellars. However, it was followed by other fine wines, such as Le Redini, which can be considered the youngest of the two IGTs due to its shorter time in barrel and bottle. In addition, Le Redini is a cuvée of Merlot and Alicante - with a very clear focus on Merlot. And although no Sangiovese grapes actually grow in the Tenuta degli Dei vineyards, the Chianti Classico Forcole has been part of the Cavalli range since 2013. The 80 percent Sangiovese grapes required for the Chianti Classico come from a leased vineyard very close to the estate. A beautiful range of wines, which is rounded off by other tasty products: In addition to grappa, vodka and gin, Cavalli also produces a fiery peperoncino oil called Foho Fiorentino. For the spice of life...

Tenuta degli Dei: a picturesque estate with a blessing "from above"

Tenuta degli Dei covers a total area of around 70 hectares. The vines grow on five hectares. The sunny sites are located at an altitude of 400 to 450 meters above sea level. The soil is rich in Galestro. All in all, ideal conditions for viticulture. And in between, horses frolic in the paddocks, llamas peek over the fence and the family's dogs greet visitors with loud barking. A second vineyard, in which more than 1,800 Alicante vines thrive, is located on the family's estate in Florence. These grapes are also processed at Tenuta degli Dei. However, in the vineyards near the city - in contrast to Conda d'Oro, where it cools down a little at night - the temperatures remain high day and night and the soil is clayey. Another special feature is that the vinification facilities and the wine cellar are not located directly on the estate, but within the walls of the Romanesque church of San Leolino. This is located directly above the entrance to the Tenuta degli Dei: the tanks and machines required for the vinification process stand wall to wall with the church. Sometimes, Tommaso reveals, you can hear the churchgoers singing. The wine cellar is an ancient vault located right under the church. You could say that the wine at Tenuta degli Dei - which translates as "vineyard of God" - is produced with a heavenly blessing "from above".

In Italy, in the region Tuscany, in the region Chianti Classico, in Panzano in Chianti

Tommaso and Roberto Cavalli

Gioia Cresti

12 ha

Galestro, clay soils

South

Panzano 350 - 400 meters above sea level, Florence 50 -100 meters above sea level.

6,700 vines per ha

Cordon