About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The best grapes are selected from the Fattoria Le Bocce vineyards in Panzano in Chianti. The calcareous, medium-textured soil contains marl, red clay and silt. The estate occupies a mid-hill position where summer day-to-night temperature changes and milder winter variations encourage balanced phenolic ripening.
Grapes
90% Sangiovese and 10% Colorino. Colorino supplements Sangiovese's firm tannic character with deeper colour and a softer, more approachable impression.
Vinification
The grapes are picked by hand into baskets holding approximately 20 kg. Harvest is completed in two passes between 1 and 20 October. Yield is approximately 5 tonnes of grapes per hectare, equivalent to 35 hL of wine. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation proceed together through co-inoculation at controlled temperatures. Maceration length is decided by repeated tasting rather than a fixed schedule.
Ageing
The wine remains in cement vats for about 10 months: approximately one month for fermentation followed by a further nine months of maturation. It then spends 18 months in wood, divided between Slavonian oak and first- and second-fill barriques. Bottle ageing lasts at least six months before release. These timings are indicative and may be adjusted through tasting as the wine develops.
Technical data
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG. The technical sheet gives 13.5% vol. alcohol, while the wine page gives 13% vol.
Tasting profile
Deep ruby red. The clean bouquet combines red and black fruit, fruit preserved in alcohol and violet with clove, pepper and tobacco. These aromas return on the palate and persist through the finish. Silky, well-defined tannins and good acidity support a balanced, full-bodied and elegant structure.
Serving and pairing
Serve at 18–20°C. Pair with red meat, grilled meat, meat stewed in wine, wild fowl or T-bone steak.
