La Carlina Estate and La Togata Wines
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The  |
Blueprint of Siena architects, Fabrizio and Marco Matteucci, for the reconstruction of the 17th century country home which houses the Tenuta La Carlina estate near downtown Montalcino, the winery which produces the rare La Togata wines. Please note that the ageing cellar was conceived as the continuation of the living quarters of the first floor. |
The vineyards, whose plants are all registered in the official Brunello di Montalcino DOCG registry, are over 20 years old and are located at different elevations in the Pieve di San Sigismondo and Montosoli wine zones. The vines have an excellent exposure, which allows the grapes to catch the rays until sunset, when the sun disappear behind the surrounding hills.
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View of the ageing cellar of the Tenuta La Carlina |
The goal of the estate, which was founded by Danilo Tonon after a special weekend spent in Montalcino about 20 years ago, is to produce limited quantities of superior Brunello di Montalcino DOCG wine, unique for its characteristics, body, elegance and perfume. Currently the estate is one of the most dynamic wineries of this wine zone, famous around the world for the high quality of its vitiviniculture.
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Danilo Tonon, owner of Tenuta La Carlina |
Tonon is locally known as the "wine attorney". He is specialized in wine-specific laws, especially for all aspects related to export and protection of brand, company image and logo, and had the "pleasure/honor" of representing the interests of the Consorzio del Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino Consortium) and registering the brand and logo in over 60 countries. He also stepped up and responded whenever attempted forgeries appeared.
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Jeanneth Angel (center), with her two daughters, Stephania and Vanessa (left), and Danilo Tonon son and daughter, Azzurra and Danilo-Jacopo. |
Another important element for a company such as Tenuta La Carlina, which aims to conquer new international markets by leveraging the undisputed quality of the wines produced, is Jeanneth Angel, the head of the foreign market relations, in particular the US.
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| Tenuta La Carlina is located about 10 minutes from downtown Montalcino, in the heart of Tuscany. Please use the following links to see the map arriving from Hwy. 1, Siena, or Grosseto. | |
The vineyards are cared for by loving, expert hands, and are in great health. The grapes on the vines are thinned out twice and, during harvest in the best years, an average of three bunches out of five pass the first visual selection in the vineyard. These pre-selected grapes are checked again and further selected at the winery, then the very best are crushed according to tradition and used to make the precious cru Brunello di Montalcino DOCG "La Togata dei Togati". The line La Togata dei Togati is produced only with the best harvest.
The Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG is left to age for three years in wooden barrels before being bottled and left to hone for another 12 months before being released.
The extreme care applied during the whole production cycle results in a ruby red wine with a fruity bouquet, harmonious and velvety to the palate, and suitable to age for many years. The Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG has been appreciated by international personalities such as former US president, Bill Clinton, former British prime minister, Tony Blair and Bill Gates.
The Cellar
The stone-walled ageing cellar features computerized climate control, which keeps the temperature constantly leveled below 15°C (59°F).
The wine ages in 20-hectoliter (around 528 gallons) Slavonia oak barrels produced by the well known Garbellotto factory from Conegliano Veneto, and in 225-liters (around 60 gallons) French barriques purchased from the renowned Tonellerie Berthomieu.
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| La Togata wines, from left: Toscana IGT La Togata Azzurreta, Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG The wines are for sale online at Emporio-Italia |
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The Production
In 1990 the production was 2048 numbered bottles and one 5-liter Jeroboam of Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG only. Since then production has increased with the following results:
- 1991, 2700 bottles
- 1992, 3200 bottles,
- 1993, 3300 bottles,
- 1994, 5000 bottles,
- 1995, 7000 bottles,
- 1996, 8000 bottles,
- 1997, 9000 bottles,
- 1998, 12000 bottles,
- 1999, 13000 bottles,
- 2000, 14000 bottles.
The wines currently produced by Tenuta La Carlina include:
- Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG Riserva 2001, which was awarded 96 points by the Wine Spectator,
- Brunello di Montalcino La Togata DOCG 2002,
- Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2005,
- Toscana IGT La Togata Azzurreta 2005, which was awarded 90 points by the Wine Spectator, and
- Toscana IGT La Togata Barengo 2005.
In addition, the estate produces a very small amount of precious Grappa di Brunello liquor.
On top of high scores such as the ones listed above, La Togata wines have obtained great recognition by wine experts in Italy and abroad, and have scored excellently in numerous competitions at home, in Europe, and in the rest of the world as well.
The La Togata wines are available in the US in the best wine stores and online at Emporio-Italia.
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