Pop quiz. What does the Mona Lisa have in common with a highly-rated Tuscan red wine? I am, of course, referring to that 500-year-old Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece described as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world.” Over the right shoulder of the Mona Lisa depicts a bridge, the four-arched Ponte Buriano bridge from Etruscan-Roman times near Arezzo over the Arno river. This bridge is part of seven, locally known as the Via dei Sette Ponti, that crosses the Arno River on the road from Arezzo to Florence. The Sette Ponte estate takes its name from these historic bridges. Today, this multifaceted farm property is one of Tuscany’s most innovative, quality-driven producers of world-class Super Tuscans. Antonio Moretti has transformed the 750-acre estate into a multifaceted farm property that is today one of Tuscany’s most innovative, quality-driven producers of world-class Super Tuscans. 

The core of the Sette Ponti estate was purchased in 1957 as a hunting retreat by architect Alberto Moretti and is now the family property of luxury goods entrepreneur Antonio Moretti, Alberto’s son. Previously, the estate sold grapes to other Tuscan producers, among them Piero Antinori. Dr. Moretti’s enjoyment of wine led him to ask Antinori if the estate vineyards could produce great wines, and Antinori thought they could. Unique to the Sette Ponte is a historic Sangiovese clone found only in the oldest vineyard on the estate. Called Vigna dell ‘Impero, meaning the Empire’s Vineyard, planted in 1935, it is one of Tuscany’s oldest, most prestigious vineyards. 

Through Antonio’s guidance, the estate has been transformed through the consultation of respected oenologist Carlo Ferrini and his assistant, Gioia Cresti; Gilbert Bouvet, one of France’s most skilled viticulturalists; and agronomist Benedetto d’Anna. Tenuta Sette Ponti’s first release was the 1998 Crognolo, which was made from those old historic Sangiovese vines. Crognolo is the name of the cornelian cherry dogwood tree that is native to the area and also provides a lot of nutrition for the vineyards. 

Tenuta Sette Ponti is a beautiful 130-hectare property with vineyards, forests, meadows, and lakes in the Arno River Valley at about 250 to 300 meters in elevation. Farming is organic, and a holistic fertilization program uses fermented manure from the horse paddocks. The estate also uses foliar fertilization made from natural extracts and seaweed.

Clay and sand soils, as well as Tuscany’s special stony galestro limestone, combined with ideal sun exposure and a climate tempered by the Mediterranean, provide an ideal climate for the Sangiovese grape. Low yields of excellent-quality hand harvested fruit ensure a rich and concentrated result. Following hand sorting and destemming, grapes are fermented in a combination of temperature controlled and lined open-top tanks. Crognolo is aged 12 months French Allier barriques and 6 months in bottle.

Intense ruby red color. Delicate floral notes of violet and enticing orange peel meet with a hint of sweet spices. Elegant with juicy tannins and great vivacity. Notable purity and drinkability.

90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot

The organic Tenuta Sette Ponti 2021 Crognolo is a mid-entry blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot that goes into oak for up to 14 months. Fruit is harvested from a historic clone of Sangiovese found on this estate. The wine shows dark concentration, certainly more than you’d expect from Sangiovese, with lots of cherry, spice, and blue flower that ties directly into the Merlot. It offers a medium to full-bodied texture with fine, chalky tannins. Wine Advocate 92 pts

Black cherries, blackberries, earth, dark chocolate, and a hint of orange peel and anise on the nose open onto a lush and indulgent palate, but with pepper and an almost bracing fresh mintiness at the back that creates balance and tension. Tannins are round but dense and chewy—very satisfying. Wine Enthusiast 93 pts

This midnight purple-colored blend from Italy opens with a new leather and black cherry bouquet with hints of espresso, triple sec, and violet. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied with integrated medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, and supple. The flavor profile is a stone dust and red plum blend with notes of cedar and tart cranberry. I also detected hints of cherry and violets. The finish is dry, and its refined dusty tannins and flavors drift away nicely. Ken’s Wine Guide.com 90 pts

The 2021 Crognolo is a gorgeous entry-level offering from Sette Ponti. A burst of red-purplish fruit, blood orange, spice, and rose petals races across the palate, lifted by bright acids that confer energy. All the elements are very nicely balanced. This is such an inviting wine. Vinous 90 pts

It comes barreling out of the glass with notes of cherry compote, plum preserves, and unsmoked cigars, leading to touches of bay leaves and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is packed with savory accents to the black fruit flavors, supported by chewy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing with great length. The Wine Independent 93 pts

The purity of fruit is impressive in this wine, with currants, orange peel, peaches, and lemon in the nose and on the palate. Full-bodied yet compressed and agile. Flavorful finish. Reserved now, but if you give it a year or two it will really deliver. James Suckling 95 pts

Crognolo from Tenuta Sette Ponti 2021

It is never hard to find a tasting group for a good Tuscan estate-bottled red wine. The 2021 Crognolo poured with a deep ruby red color—a complex nose of baking spices, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and roasted root vegetables. On the palate, it was full-bodied with flavors of dried fruit, cherry, plum, and tart cranberry, with mild notes of leather and cigar—a very long, silky finish. Moderate tannins persist to the end, and the acid keeps the wine well-knit. As we swirled the glass, the wine opened up with more complexities and weight. Truth is, we liked this wine a lot and can imagine this as the perfect wine to have around a bonfire, and it would make a great food wine with steaks or chops. The real problem with this wine is that we could only get 20 six-packs of this fabulous wine, and at this price, it will be gone soon, never to be seen again. Much like Mona Lisa's eyebrows.

Regular Price: $48.99

*Sale Price is on 3 or more bottle purchase

Wine is packed in a 6-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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—John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

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