If Alessandro Cellai’s Super Tuscan Campanaio is the bell ringer, then this is his Tinkerbell. It starts life as does the Campanaio, a selectively harvested blend of 50/50 etate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This smaller parcel (just a couple of barrels) is fermented in French oak, to balance the shorter maturation in oak after malolactic, just three months in American oak.
2024
It opens with cassis, layered with ripe dark cherry and plum. Compared to its more oak-driven sibling, the aromatics lean toward purity of fruit, with only subtle hints of cedar, light spice, and a gentle touch of sweet tobacco rather than overt oak sweetness. On the palate it shows a lifted profile, with vibrant acidity carrying the dark fruit core wrapped in a savoury edge. It has a supple yet structured texture, fine-grained tannins and a medium-bodied, elegant frame.
