Wines Tuscany Podere Forte - Guardiavigna - 2015

Viniou Reviews

Podere Forte’s Guardiavigna 2015 is a remarkable Tuscan red that eloquently expresses both its blend and its birthplace. This cuvée is typically built around Bordeaux varietals—most often Cabernet Franc and Merlot, sometimes with a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Sauvignon—crafted with a meticulous attention to organic and biodynamic principles. The 2015 vintage benefited from a warm, stable growing season, yielding grapes with impressive ripeness and concentration. The wine undergoes fermentation in oak and matures for a considerable period in fine French barrels. The result is a structured, elegant red with notes of dark cherry, blackcurrant, graphite, tobacco leaf, and a gentle fragrance of wild Mediterranean herbs. Fine, well-integrated tannins and a persistent finish are the hallmarks of this cuvée, attesting both to deft winemaking and the quality of the terroir.

Toscana IGT is a broad appellation, granting freedom to ambitious estates like Podere Forte to experiment outside the DOC/DOCG rules. This corner of southern Tuscany, especially in the Val d’Orcia region, boasts rolling hills, altitude, and soils rich in clay, limestone, and galestro—a crumbly schist. The combination of Mediterranean warmth, notable diurnal temperature swings, and well-draining soils produces wines of both heat-kissed ripeness and refreshing structure. Historically, this region has seen a renaissance of quality in recent decades as traditional estates embrace innovation and sustainable methods to bring out the particular character of their micro-terroirs.

Given its complexity and structure, Guardiavigna 2015 excels with refined meat dishes—think bistecca alla fiorentina, roast lamb with Tuscan herbs, or wild boar ragù over pappardelle. The wine’s layered profile also complements mushroom risotto, slow-cooked beef stews, or aged pecorino cheese, echoing the depth and savouriness of local gastronomia.

For optimal enjoyment, decant the wine for at least an hour to fully reveal its bouquet. Serve at 16-18°C to allow both the fruit and the more delicate earthy notes to express themselves harmoniously. This cuvée promises graceful evolution in the cellar for many years to come.