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A 50/50 Sangiovese and Merlot blend born in 1988 from Capannelle in Chianti and Avignonesi in Montepulciano. Aged 24 months in small French oak barrels, it pairs Tuscan grip with velvety depth. Wine Spectator gave the 2019 a 93.
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Two estates, one glass: Capannelle's Sangiovese brings the savoury grip, Avignonesi's Merlot the plush fruit. Twenty-four months in small French oak barrels layer vanilla and sweet spice over a black-cherry and blackberry core.
The bouquet leads with black cherry and blackberry, lifted by violet, with the small red fruit and blackcurrant the producer itself names. Twenty-four months in small French oak barrels fold in vanilla and sweet cinnamon, plus the undergrowth note Avignonesi puts on the label.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Blueberry
Plum
Leather
Oak
Cinnamon
VanillaSangiovese from Capannelle drives the structure: bright acidity and a firm, savoury tannic grip. Avignonesi's Merlot fills the mid-palate with plush plum and a silky, almost soft texture, and that balance is the wine's great charm. Oak and leather from the barrels frame a full body.
Long and lasting, closing on leather, sweet spice and a fine dusting of oak from the barrels.
A historic 1988 joint venture between Capannelle and Avignonesi, 50 & 50 is a wine drinkers like year after year, with a Wine Spectator 93 for the 2019. Its silky softness and length win people over; a structured, special-occasion Tuscan red for those who want Sangiovese grip with Merlot flesh.
Two vintages reach UK shelves: the Wine Spectator 93-point 2019 and the rounder 2020. Both are 750ml, 13.5% wines trading around £110 to £115. Stock is thin, so availability moves vintage by vintage.
75cl · 2019: £107.52, 1 UK retailer
75cl · 2020: £95.00 - £145.00, 3 UK retailers
Magnum 150cl · 2021: £193.00, 1 UK retailer
Scored across six axes for how this Sangiovese-Merlot blend performs at the table, in the cellar and for value at its £110 price. A structured, food-first red that rewards a special-occasion pour over an everyday one.
A historic, cult Tuscan blend at a special-occasion price; built to mark a celebration.
Bright Sangiovese acidity and ripe Merlot tannin make it a natural with red meat, game and aged cheese; a structured, food-first red.
Twenty-four months in small oak barrels, firm Sangiovese tannin and a 2019 built for the cellar give a decade-plus ageing window.
At about £110 it is priced as a collectible Super Tuscan; the Wine Spectator 93 and its following among drinkers justify the spend for enthusiasts, but it is no bargain.
A structured, oak-aged blend at a collector price; rewarding but not the easiest first step into Tuscan reds.
A £110 special-occasion red, far too dear and structured for everyday drinking.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.
A compact view of what the Toscana denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
2019 was a benchmark Tuscan year, firmer and built for the cellar; Wine Spectator rated this wine 93. 2020 is softer and more forward. Both spend 24 months in small French oak barrels and a year in bottle before release.
2020 was a warmer, earlier-drinking Tuscan year, giving a rounder, more approachable 50 & 50. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.3 and call it a top year for the wine. Enjoyable now, with a decade of upside.
2019 was a classic, balanced Tuscan vintage with fresh acidity and ripe, precise tannins. Wine Spectator scored this 50 & 50 a 93. Built for the cellar; give young bottles a decant.
2020 was a warmer, earlier-drinking Tuscan year, giving a rounder, more approachable 50 & 50. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.3 and call it a top year for the wine. Enjoyable now, with a decade of upside.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
50 & 50 sits in the broad Toscana IGT, yet is priced like a cru. The premium reflects two separate estate vineyards, all-hand harvesting and three years of ageing before release, not an appellation rulebook.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Toscana is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Toscana falls within Tuscany, covering Arezzo · Firenze · Grosseto · Livorno · Lucca · Massa Carrara · Pisa · Pistoia · Prato · Siena.
Winery
Montepulciano
Wine area
Made at Avignonesi, Montepulciano. Directions
Each half is grown, picked and selected on its own estate, then blended; running two vineyards for one wine carries cost a single-site bottling never does.
Both estates pick and sort 50 & 50 entirely by hand, the labour-intensive route that lifts cost over machine-picked Toscana IGT fruit.
Three years of maturation ties up the wine and the French oak barrels long before any sale, a recurring cost baked into every bottle.
A historic 1988 joint venture, well liked by drinkers and with a 93-point 2019, commands a collector premium well above its IGT classification.
The flexible IGT framework imposes no DOCG yield ceiling or release-tasting fee, the one structural factor holding the price below a classified cru.
UK excise adds £2.67 a bottle at 2026 rates and 20% VAT on a circa-£110 wine adds over £18 more before any merchant margin.
Dishes that go with this wine
The Sangiovese half brings the acidity and tannin that cut through fat and char; the Merlot half adds the body to stand up to game and braises. Avignonesi pours it with red meat, roasts and aged cheese.
The Sangiovese half's bright acidity and firm tannin slice through the fat and char of a thick grilled steak, while the Merlot keeps the palate plush. A classic Tuscan match for the wine's structure.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Tagliata · Grilled ribeye · Peposo · More pairings →
Twenty-four months in oak barrels build the body and sweet-spice depth to match slow-braised beef and game. The Merlot weight echoes the richness; the Sangiovese acidity keeps a long-cooked sauce from cloying.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Wild boar ragù · Venison stew · Peposo · More pairings →
Roast veal and herb-roasted meats give the tannins protein to soften against, letting the silky mid-palate and oak spice come forward. Avignonesi pours 50 & 50 with exactly these roasts.
Try with: Ossobuco alla Milanese · Roast veal · Arista · Roast pork loin · More pairings →
Lamb's gamey fat and rosemary meet the wine's savoury Sangiovese edge and dark fruit. The structure stands up to a rich, long-simmered ragù without being flattened by it.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Roast lamb · Lamb shoulder · Pappardelle al ragù · More pairings →
Aged pecorino's salt and crystalline tang play against the wine's sweet oak spice and ripe fruit, a contrast that refreshes each sip. The tannin has enough grip to carry a hard, mature cheese.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Aged pecorino toscano · Parmigiano · Grana · More pairings →
Tannin and chilli heat amplify each other, turning the wine harsh and bitter; the same tannin bullies delicate fish, and the full body swamps light, fresh plates. Save it for richer cooking.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Sichuan hotpot · Sushi · Oysters · Goat cheese salad · Pairing guide →
Built for ageing, the 2019 should hold and improve into the mid-2030s, with the 2020 a touch earlier. Three years of barrel-and-bottle maturation before release means it arrives approachable but far from its peak.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.
Twenty-four months in small oak barrels, firm Sangiovese tannin and a 2019 built for the cellar give a decade-plus ageing window.
£85.00 for a 75cl bottle of the 2021, at XtraWine, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 28 Oct 2026, 09:08 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from published drinker ratings, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is an equal blend: 50% Sangiovese from Capannelle in Chianti and 50% Merlot from Avignonesi in Montepulciano. The two estates have made it together since 1988.
Yes in style. It is bottled as Toscana IGT rather than a DOCG, the classic Super Tuscan route, blending native Sangiovese with international Merlot outside traditional appellation rules.
The stronger vintages cellar comfortably for 10 to 15 years. The 2019, which Wine Spectator scored 93, should drink well into the mid-2030s; the softer 2020 is more approachable young.
Red meat, game, roasts and aged cheese. The Sangiovese acidity and tannin cut through fat while the Merlot body matches braises; Avignonesi recommends grilled beef and aged pecorino.
Black cherry, blackberry and plum over leather, vanilla and sweet oak spice. It is full-bodied and structured but silky, finishing long, and drinkers like it year after year.
Expect around £110 to £115 a bottle in the UK. Stock is limited; the 2019 and 2020 vintages appear at specialist merchants, often in a wooden gift box.
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