Many years ago I fell in love with Merlot and Sangiovese. Both haven't been "cool" for a long time, but that's okay. In the right hands, they are delicious and that is my number one rule for a wine I buy. This property was one of the Sangiovese properties that captured my heart and hopefully, it will capture yours, too.

Proprietress Principessa Coralia Pignatelli della  Leonessa and her husband first saw the estate in 1967 and then bought the property in 1968. At that time, there was just the 13th-century farmhouse and outbuildings along with one hectare of vineyards. They quickly set out to expand their plantings and to update the farmhouses.  In doing so, they sought the advice of the Chianti Consorzio, quickly eliminating the use of white grapes in their wine and soon thereafter switching to 100% Sangiovese.

There are eight different vineyard sites which  Coralia feels represent the various terroirs and microclimates that  Tuscany has to offer. The soil is mainly alluvial with pebbles and sand,  though in Poggio delle Rose, perhaps her top site, there are also concentrations of clay and limestone.

The botte-aged Chianti Classico and Chianti  Classico Riserva make up the major part of their production. They also make a single-vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva from their Poggio delle  Rose vineyard as well as a Sangiovese-Cabernet blend called Santa Croce.  The Cabernet was grafted over their old Canaiolo vines in 1983. They also make a very small production Vin Santo that spends a minimum fifteen years in small oak caratelli before bottling.

Stylistically, the wines are classic, elegant, and traditional. The Chiantis, even the “current” releases, are held back in  bottle to give added complexity and refinement. The wines display classic aromas and flavors of dried fruits and flowers, minerals, and a  dusty/earthy core that is uniquely Tuscan. There is an energy and lift to all the wines with well-integrated acidity and balanced structure.

 

Chianti Classico 2017 $29.99

• Sourced from some of their eight different sites in the southeast corner of Castelnuovo Berardenga.
• Altitudes ranging from 250-300m in elevation with varying exposures. Alluvial soil with pebbles and sand.
• Hand-harvested between the second half of September and early October.
• Natural fermentation with native yeast in stainless steel tanks for 10-12 days.
• Aged in large Slavonian oak for 24 months.