Historically, the Maremma encompassed a stretch of coastline running from Pisa, in Tuscany, all the way down to Rome. This wine is from the province of Grosseto, the heartland of the Maremma. Soils are richer in clay, loam, and sandstone than those further inland, and it’s a drier, hotter “maritime” climate in comparison to that of Central Tuscany. For this reason, producers up and down the Tuscan Coast have gravitated to the “Bordeaux” varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

The La Mozza winery is owned by Italian-American restaurateurs and television personalities Joe and Lidia Bastianich. The property is in the municipality of Magliano in Toscana and includes 16 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards, which are planted not just to Sangiovese (a.k.a. Morellino) but Ciliegiolo, Mammolo, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, and other local and “international” varieties.

Hand-harvested grapes were destemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel, with maceration on skins lasting roughly two weeks. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in stainless steel before its transfer to a combination of 4,000-liter Slavonian oak casks and stainless steel tanks for 12 months of aging. 

In the glass, it’s a deep ruby-black moving to garnet, with a wild and inviting nose of Morello cherry, blackberry, currants, licorice, dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco. The structure and overall scale of the wine is very “Tuscan”—it has notes of underbrush and forest floor and a slight bite to its tannins and acid. Pair this with a medium-rare bistecca!