Why it matters
The producer
Tenuta Canto Alla Moraia makes one wine. That focus is not a limitation: the estate in Castiglion Fibocchi, Province of Arezzo, has spent more than two decades sharpening a single Supertuscan red, Moraia, from certified organic vines on the eastern edge of Chianti territory. The blend leads with Cabernet Sauvignon, adds Sangiovese for grip and cherry, and rounds the finish with Merlot. Three years in tonneau follow a slow stainless-steel fermentation. The wine is labelled IGT Toscana.
The estate covers 30 hectares, of which roughly 10 to 11 are planted. Giannetto Lebole bought the original 200-hectare farm here in the 1950s; the holding contracted over generations into the focused parcel that exists today. A full renovation in 2002 redirected the property toward quality and sustainability, and organic certification followed.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Castiglion Fibocchi sits in the Province of Arezzo, in the Valdarno, the broad valley carved by the Arno river between Florence and Arezzo. The vineyards lie at around 300 metres elevation, sheltered to the east by the Pratomagno, a ridge of the Apennines that blocks cold continental air and creates a mild growing climate with warm days and cool nights. To the west, the hills roll into the broader Chianti zone, and the estate sits at its eastern margin.
The Cassia Vetus, an ancient Roman road connecting Etruscan cities through this part of the Arno valley, passes through the area. The road predates the vineyard, but the geography it followed remains: a corridor of hills at moderate altitude, facing south and west, where grapes ripen fully without losing acidity.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The roughly 10 to 11 hectares of vine grow at 300 metres under certified organic management. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers are used; the estate relies on cover crops, natural treatments, and reduced intervention to maintain vine health. Yields are 50 to 60 quintals of grapes per hectare.
In the cellar, fermentation is slow and temperature-controlled in stainless steel tanks. Slow fermentation extracts colour and flavour without aggressive temperature spikes, and the stainless-steel vessel preserves the fresh fruit character of both Sangiovese and the dark-fruited international varieties. From fermentation, Moraia moves into tonneau for up to three years. The 500-litre format adds tannin polymerisation and a measured cedar and spice contribution without the overt vanilla of small barrique. The wine arrives in bottle with soft, integrated tannins and a finish that carries the oak time without announcing it.
Wines to know
The range in view
Moraia is the estate's single recorded wine, an IGT Toscana red blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, and 20% Merlot. The category places it in the Supertuscan tradition: international varieties blended with the native Sangiovese, labelled under the broad Tuscan geographical indication rather than a commune-level or DOCG appellation.
The Cabernet Sauvignon majority drives the wine's dark-fruit depth: black cherry, damson, and a balsamic thread that reads through to the finish. Sangiovese brings the wine's lifted cherry note and its chewy, drying grip mid-palate. Merlot fills the finish, adding roundness and a cocoa-edged texture that softens the Cabernet's firmness. Three years in tonneau adds cedar, a quiet spice layer, and a tannin integration that keeps the wine from reading as young or astringent.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Moraia is the only bottle, and it is the right first bottle. It is a Cabernet-led Supertuscan from organically farmed vines at 300 metres in the Arno valley hills, aged three years in tonneau. The wine carries black cherry, damson, balsamic, and black pepper on the nose; a full-bodied, soft-tannin palate with cocoa texture; and a long finish that holds the fruit together well after the glass is empty. Buy the most recent available vintage. Open it with lamb or aged pecorino.