‘Sulna’ Costa Toscana Alicante IGT 2022
La Mursa

*This wine would be priced at $64.99-$79.99 at most other shops but I understand this is a new wine and really want people to get excited for the deal and the wine.

100% Alicante (aka Italian Grenache)

Terroir and soils: volcanic soils, the island has a rugged and rocky territory characterized purely by Mediterranean scrub – think Provence meets Corsica/Sardinia.

Vineyards: The planting space used is 1x1m quincunx with a planting density of 10,000 plants per hectare . This choice was adopted to make the most of the small and arduous terraces, in which all work is carried out manually

Winemaking: Not much is available so I messaged La Mursa in Instagram and got a lot of GREAT details, here is the English translation:

• The sulana is produced with pure Grenache grapes Fermentation takes place in 10 hl Mastelle for about 20 days, using 20%-30% whole bunches this is crushed with feet so as to make pressing more delicate. After racking, the wine is placed in used French oak barrels and aged for about 7 months, after which it ages for 2 months in the bottle. We hope we have answered all your questions, we remain at your disposal

• This allows us to carry out micro-harvests between the various terraces that have different altitudes and exposures, so as to respect the right ripening of the grapes.

• After racking, the wine is placed in used French oak barrels and aged for about 7 months, after which it ages in the bottle.

Our Tasting Note-1/26/24

Light ruby red, transparent through the core, light red edges. The med+ and very pure nose rises easily from the glass with fresh and ripe red cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, elegant and subtle spices and provencal herbs (from the minimal stem inclusion), some violets peek in. The palate confirms the nose with med+ intensity that elegantly and persistently fans out over the palate. The palate while wide and persistent, has not a trace of weight, it is elegant with lift – elegant density here! Very persistent and very pretty. Texturally, the tannins are gentle and fine, youthful. At 13% abv this keeps things lively and fresh into a long, youthful, and gently persistent finish.

La Mursa

Capraia, Tuscany

When a vineyard is treated like a garden, and grows amongst other gardens, you know the health and vitality of the vineyard and resulting wine will be magnificent. Throw in the cooing effects of higher altitudes (450m) and high winds, an island climate in Tuscany, and old terraces built last century with perfect exposures, and what you get is an incredible wine grown from a magical place (and people). Their logo (further below) also expresses this ethos with a nod to the circle of life in a vineyard.

I tasted this 2 weeks ago (tasting note below) – this is one hell of a story and one I am still starting to peel the opinion back on…everything is in Italian about them and I have had to translate everything, much of the details I have are from their site and this very informative article where the author just visited them. LINK. I also messaged a few times with the winery via DIs in Instagram page and they are super friendly and open to answering my questions. I had to translate it all to English but that’s how I roll!

• The first vintage (2019) was ONE BARREL (250 bottles) of wine. But that is the fruit of many years of labor and planning to get to that point. Today’s wine is the same wine but the new 3rd vintage (2021)
• The young parents have gone all out, with a 1-year-old in tow, to allow the site to come back to like after decades of being abandoned. See the ENTIRE amazing story in pictures and words on their Instagram page LINK
• The grape is Alicante, which is Grenache in Italy – this is NOT Alicante Bouchet which is a cross of grenache and petit bouschet. Alicante has been grown on Capraia for centuries, but for local use only – no commercial wineries existed – just 10 hectares currently exist.
• Terroir: Capraia is located just northeast of Corsica, about 20 miles, and 40 miles from Livorno, in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. It is tiny: 8 km long, 4 km wide and with a surface area of around 20 sq km. Of volcanic origin, the island has a rugged and rocky territory characterized purely by Mediterranean scrub.
• Entirely organic farming. Vines are planted in stalk form cultivation in tight 2-4 rows terraces at high density (10k/hectare). This was typical of the island to counteract the strong wind that dominates for most of the year.
• A small percentage of whole bunch grapes are used in winemaking, no new oak, all used.
• Emiliano Falsini is the consulting winemaker, the mand who has also made the amazing wines below and the Vinzas Artzas wines also made from Grenache in Sardinia that have been so successful with us (remember these wines)