2018 Podere Monastero Pinot Nero IGT La Pineta, Tuscany

La Pineta is a testimony to the vision and commitment of winemaker, Alessandro Cellai, who set out to create a big, structured Pinot Nero from Tuscany. He has succeeded in style. La Pineta is dark in color, tending towards purple in the glass. The nose shows aromas of crushed blackberries and strawberries, with floral and mineral tones. On the palate it is full-bodied and precise, soft and velvety, with fine tannins and a long finish. It pairs beautifully with roasted red meats of all types, as well as chicken, duck and mushroom pasta and risotto.

A pure expression of Pinot Nero from the heart of Tuscany, the Podere Monastero 2018 La Pineta is a dark and shapely expression with extra fiber and richness at its core. The wine reveals aromas of wild berry and cherry followed by light spice, cedar wood and a touch of cinnamon. To be honest, this vintage is far more Tuscan in character, thanks to the warm sunshine that washes over this region, than it is varietally driven, per se.