Capalbio is a DOC covering the village of the same name on the very southern edge of Tuscany, central Italy. The appellation covers a wide range of wine styles, including spumante and vin santo as well as rosso, bianco and rosato, and is based on classic Tuscan grape varieties like Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Vermentino. The Capalbio production zone overlaps almost entirely with that of the Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario DOC, which specializes in whites made from Ansonica.
The terroir here is typical of southern Tuscany, with limestone soils and a Mediterranean climate giving balanced, lively wines. The official zone covers the communes of Manciano, Magliano, Orbetello and Capalbio, collectively known as the Costa dell'Argentario, so-named because its western tip is capped by the Monte Argentario peninsula. The border with Lazio lies just to the south, and the Morellino di Scansano DOC covers the land to the east.
The region's vineyards sit on hillsides that slope towards the sea, giving vines a sunny, southerly exposure that helps with the development of phenolic ripeness in the berries. This is tempered by cooling winds during the growing season that slow this ripening process and ensure the grapes retain acidity. These winds have the added bonus of being dry, which means they help reduce disease pressure as well. Capalbio's terroir is also aided by well-drained, dry sandy limestone soils.
The vineyards here are mostly planted with such well-regarded grapes as Trebbiano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, which form the classic Tuscan uvaggio used to make Capalbio wines. The Vermentino grape, which has been gaining momentum in Tuscany over the past few decades, is also used here, its most prominent manifestation being in varietal Capalbio Vermentino wines. Both Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon may also be used for varietally labeled wines here.
To earn the term riserva, a Capalbio Rosso wine must attain at least 11.5% alcohol by volume (this figure is a more lenient 10.5% for the basic wines) and be aged for at least two years prior to release, with a minimum of six months of this period spent in wooden barrels.
