Sancaba

San Casciano dei Bagni sits on the rugged borderland that marks the end of Tuscany and the beginning of Umbria and Lazio. Its natural beauty and thermal baths have been a draw since Roman times, but with little history of winemaking until recent times. Inspired by the unique terrain, Carlo Franchetti acquired a 45-hectare estate in 2011 where ancient oak forests surround the vineyards in every direction, marking the terroir with rich scents of wild cherries, plums, indigenous roses, truffles, and mushrooms. Today, what was once inhospitable and remote borderland is prime terroir for a most surprising pinot noir.

Cool north-easterly winds blow throughout most of the year bringing cooler temperatures and greater temperature excursions between day and night than is usual for this part of central Italy. Summer days are never too hot and the nights are always cool. Rain is scarce between April and September and what little falls is rapidly absorbed and filtered down into the depths of the porous soil. The wine Sancaba, first produced in 2013 in collaboration with Carlo’s cousin Andrea, is a tribute to this unique place, high in the hills above San Casciano dei Bagni.