Oliviero Toscani OT Toscana IGT 2012
This was an intriguing offering from WTSO - Wines Till Sold Out - the on-line merchant, a unique blend of Shiraz/Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. WTSO offer deeply discounted specials in various quantities that invariably sell out quickly, hence the name.
The producer Oliviero Toscani is known
for Super-Tuscans, sourced from their estate in the coastal hills near the Italian coast, south of Livorno in the commune of Marittimo. The commune is in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region
of Tuscany, located about 70 kilometres southwest of Florence and about 50
kilometres southeast of Pisa.
Oliviero Toscani bought a small farm in Casale Marittimo in the sixties and spent the next three decades acquiring more land, planting olive trees and raising horses, pigs and Angus cows. In the late nineties, he was inspired by friend and legendary winemaker Angelo Gaja to plant vineyards. He developed a amphitheater-shaped vineyard at 350 meters above sea level with a breathtaking view on the Tirreno Sea.
His son, Rocco, was born and raised on the farm but went off to study abroad and pursued a career as a photographer. He returned to his roots and Tuscan home in 2014 and eventually took over managing the estate, vineyards and cellar, focusing on producing wines that optimize the strengths of the vineyards and their distinctive terroir.
This label is from the Monteromboli Vineyard, twenty-two acres of rolling hillside with iron rich, generous, intensely red soil of medium texture. It was planted with Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in 2001. It is situated 220 to 350 meters above sea level, with orientation and exposure to the South-West.
The Mediterranean climate consists of mild winters, rainy autumns and springs, with warm and dry summers.
This is a Super-Tuscan, as such, an Italian wine crafted from Bordeaux varietals, albeit with a Northern Rhone Syrah in the mix. The blend is 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It was aged for 12 months in Slavonia oak barrels and eventually rested for
about 36 months in bottles.
Its interesting that Rocco studied photography and he uses photography metaphors in comparing it to winemaking. "It may sound weird but making wine is not that different from taking a picture. I’ve grown up among images, and I’ve always been fascinated about the similarity that exists between these two forms of art." 
