Le Difese (Toscana IGT) is produced by Tenuta San Guido since 2003.

It is a 70% Cabernet and 30% Sangiovese blend.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature and maceration lasts for about 12 days for both the Cabernet Sauvignon to the Sangiovese. It is then aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels and for a further three months in the bottle.

The wine is distinguished by a good structure and is extremely supple making it very pleasant and drinkable.

Appellation: Toscana Indicazione Geografica Tipica

First vintage: 2002

Alchoholic content: 13.50%

Grape blend: 70 % Cabernet Sauvignon 30 % Sangiovese

Soil composition: Soils have different morphological characteristics with a high incidence of limestone areas rich in clay and stones; they are situated between 100 and 400 meters above the sea level facing South / South-West.

Training method: Cordon spur

Planting density: 5.500 to 6.250 vine stocks per hectare

Harvest: The manual harvest began on the first decade of September with Cabernet, then with the one of Sangiovese that finished on the 1st of October with excellent results both in quantitative terms but above all in the quality of the grapes: a perfect phenolic maturity, a great color’s extraction and an excellent structure in musts; grapes were crispy and very healthy.

Wine making: Berries were carefully selected on the sorting table. The very gentle crushing and destemming of the clusters of grapes was followed by fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats (between 29°-30° C, only using the vineyard’s native yeast). The maceration on the skins lasted 13 to 15 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon and about 15 to 18 days for Sangiovese. It was followed by pumpovers and délestages. The malolactic fermentation, also in stainless steel vats, began in the second decade of October and finished at the end of November. The classic Tenuta San Guido’s elegance characterizes this vintage thanks to the soft and velvety tannins characterizes the vintage in an extremely positive way.

Ageing time: At the end of the malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 10 months in French oak barriques.