The name of Ad Astra is gleaned from the Latin phrase Per Aspera Ad Astra — “a rough road leads to the stars”. A phrase that is also true for great wines, as greatness requires a great deal of loving work and care in the vineyards. Ad Astra is an approachable yet simultaneously serious red wine that is also a pleasure when enjoyed young.
Viticulture
Ad Astra grows in our Maremma property called Mongibello delle Mandorlaie between Scansano and Magliano, 8 km away from the sea at an altitude of 250 meter. The soil is mostly sand with granite stones and clay underneath. All vineyards are certified organic.
After the extremely hot 2017 vintage, with 2018 things came back to normality and the vintage can be described as “classic”. We had a cold winter with snow in our vineyards for a few days, spring was rainy and we had a mild summer. The weather from the middle of August until the harvest was very nice without rain and important diurnal temperature variations. We picked our healthy and ripe grapes between the 10th and the 28th of September and brought them with a temperature-controlled truck to the cellar in Castellina in Chianti.
Vinification
14 months in new (10%) and used Barrique and Tonneaux barrels, a few months in concrete to blend the different varieties. 4 months in bottle.