2013 Fattoria di Basciano Colli della Toscana Centrale I Pini 750 ml

2013 Fattoria di Basciano “I Pini” — Wine Spectator’s “Seamless” 94-pointer

The Masi family purchased the magnificent, sprawling estate in 1900. One thousand feet above sea level, about 45 minutes south of Florence, from the upper level of the ancient watchtower (now beautifully restored) one looks down on the Argomenna Valley on one side and the Sieve river on the other.

The gentle slopes that surround the villa are packed with stony soil that the locals call “Galestro,” making for excellent drainage. The microclimate is ideal for Bordeaux varieties. Summers are warm and typically dry. A steady breeze both chills and cleanses the vines. The challenge in making a truly world-class Bordeaux blend off the property doesn’t lie in bringing the earlier-maturing Merlot and Syrah to perfect physiological maturity, but in nursing slower-maturing Cabernet Sauvignon to degrees of ripeness more typical of Napa Valley or Pauillac than these Tuscan hills. As it turned out, 2013 provided just such a vintage script.

The spring was cool and wet in Montebonello, making for a small, somewhat irregular fruit set. The summer months were generally mild, but most importantly, the diurnal temperature shift from day to night was dramatic. Daytime highs pierced 90 degrees as nighttime lows dipped into the 50s. Absent of any significant heat spikes that might have overheated the maturation process, the Cabernet Sauvignon was left to hang. Berry size was small. Skin-to-juice ratio was high. When the Masis made the call to harvest their Cabernet Sauvignon — two weeks after they’d finished picking the Merlot — sugars had spiked, even as acids stayed firm. Seeds browned beautifully, much explaining the elegance of the dusty tannins that brace and buttress this gorgeous one-of-a-kind blend.

The 2013 Fattoria di Basciano “I Pini” is vivid ruby. Gorgeous, piercing, and sumptuous aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, and violets, tinged with sweet Tuscan herbs. Rich and juicy, filled with crushed-red-fruit preserves, beautifully cut — and as the Spectator described so aptly, absolutely “seamless” — finishing with superb length, tension, and persistence. Sanderson argues that the 2013 “I Pini” will hit its peak in 2030. Sounds about right to us.

$35 on release. Just 400 cases are headed stateside, 100 earmarked for WineAccess. $27 — the Spectator’s highest-rated under-$30 Italian red since Hillary and Bill were living on Pennsylvania Avenue. Shipping included on 4.