2016 Tenuta Sette Cieli Indaco Toscana IGT

Indaco means “indigo” in Italian and refers to the color of the evening sky at the winery estate, near Bolgheri, on the Mediterranean coast. It’s a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot, grown at 400 meters about 12 kilometers from the sea. Farming is organic and manual. Fermentations proceed with yeasts selected from the estate’s terroir, and the wine ages 18 months in French oak, one-third new. The result is inky violet with a fuchsia rim and a profuse fragrance of flowers and red fruits. The acidity is firm, the tannins supple but drying. The flavors offer a sense of black cherries steeped in dried rose petals and violets. Although it’s quite an aromatic wine, it also feels chewy and substantial. The winery suggests it has good aging potential.

14.5% abv | $85

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2016 Tenuta Sette Cieli Scipio Toscana IGT

Scipio is a varietal Cabernet Franc made only in the best vintages. The winemaker is looking for full ripeness, especially of the skins, to reduce green-tasting pyrazines. In contrast with Indaco, this wine skews red instead of violet, with a rim that’s pink rather than fluorescent purple. But the robe is equally inky, opaque and velvety. The fragrance is on point for Cab Franc: dried flowers, plums, a snap of herbs. The wine’s tannins are profound and amplified by its acidity, while flavors of black and red fruits earn an edge of pine-woodsiness. The wine is built to age — for five years at least, but easily much longer.

14.5% abv | $125

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These wines were media samples tasted on a virtual call with winemaker Elena Pozzolini and estate owner Ambrogio Cremona Ratti. Tenuta Sette Cieli is imported by Wilson Daniels.