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[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]hen Massimo Ferragamo, the New York-based youngest son of legendary shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo, bought the 2,000ha estate of Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany in 2003, he knew what he wanted to produce from the vineyards’ Sangiovese grapes.

“I don’t like strong wines. It should be elegant, something that one can enjoy drinking at any moment, with or without food,” he told The Peak in a recent visit to Singapore to showcase Castiglion del Bosco’s pride and joy, the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2010 Zodiac Rooster.

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Chinese artist Shao Fan designed the wine label.

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Indeed, 2010 is generally acknowledged by critics as one of the best years for wines in this region. Renowned wine critic James Suckling gave the Rooster 99 points, saying: “A beautiful Brunello that shows the unique character of this great vintage. Full body, very silky and refined tannins. Complete and complex flavours of dried fruit and spice.”

It helps that Ferragamo has dedicated the best plot of land on the estate – which also includes a resort and Italy’s only private, PGA-standard golf course – to producing the Rooster. (It’s the fourth in a limited-edition series that started in 2013 featuring Chinese zodiac animals and collaboration with Chinese artists to engage the China market.)

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Coincidentally, Ferragamo was born in the year of the Rooster – 1957.

Vigneto Zodiaco is situated at an altitude of 450m, and gets plenty of sunlight facing south-east. While Castiglion del Bosco produces some 200,000 bottles annually from the combination of its vineyards, only 688 magnums priced at US$1,000 (S$1,425) of the Rooster are available.

Suckling predicts the wine will only get better with age: “Elegant, beautiful, powerful and youthful – this wine is gorgeous now but will be great in 2020.”

Orders can be placed at wine@castigliondelbosco.com.

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