This wine presents itself outstandingly, just like its name. He carries the essence of the grapes within him and radiates quietly yet confidently with elegance and grandeur. A wine, elegant like its appearance.

Eccellenza is best enjoyed with an intensely spiced game dish or after a meal, accompanied by a few pieces of the finest dark chocolate. Whether grand celebrations or special occasions in a smaller circle: Eccellenza, with its radiant garnet red and incredible color density, consistently manages to lend the moment even more atmosphere and significance.

The autochthonous Tuscan grapes for our Eccellenza grow to a large extent in the Vigna del Poggino and the Vigna del Sasso. The former is located at the top of the hill at an altitude of 330 meters and has a very rich, clayey and loamy soil. The latter is a steeper location with southwestern exposure and features a structured, loose soil with a high proportion of rounded stones from fluvial deposits. For Eccellenza we select the finest grapes – loose berries in perfect health – which are then dried in a protected room for 1-2 months. During this time, the berries naturally release water and their ingredients are thus concentrated. Once the right degree of drying is reached, the grapes are once more hand-selected and mashed. Slow fermentation takes place in concrete tanks with a correspondingly long maceration. The wine is kept on the fine lees for at least a year in barrique and tonneau-type casks. One-third of the wooden barrels are always new. After bottling, Eccellenza rests for another year to round off in the bottle.

This red wine is courageous and unconventional. This unique interpretation of a Tuscan red wine, made from the varieties Fogliatonda, Sangiovese, and Teroldego, aims to express what Count Toggenburg wants to achieve for the family. A passion project that wears his favorite color, blue, on the label, which he values for its understated yet powerful elegance.

Count Toggenburg prefers to drink Luagotnente with refined meat dishes, which can either be locally rooted or interpreted in an exotic manner. Through the marriage of three indigenous grape varieties, Luogotenente naturally pairs well with a good steak, as we grill it in Tuscany. The Fogliatonda grape gives this wine its lush yet soft tannins, while ensuring it goes harmoniously with braised meat dishes, e.g. the classic brasato, or a goulash made of game, or a lamb tajine.

Tip: Needs time to breathe to fully express himself, so please open in time, possibly even the day before.

The grapes for our Luogotenente come from three vineyards – Vigna del Cimitero, Vigna del Poggio and Vigna del Poggino. All three are hillside locations with predominantly clayey-loamy soil, occasionally featuring a low proportion of stones. They are very rich soils, providing a perfect foundation for full-bodied, round wines. Maceration takes around 14 days, iological malolactic fermentation occurs partially during the fermentation or immediately thereafter. The wine is then aged for some six months in previously used wooden casks and the process concludes with a further six months in steel tanks. The wine is bottle-aged for a half-year following bottling.