About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The grapes are grown on hillside sites near Radda in Chianti.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand and dried for about three months to concentrate their sugars. After pressing, the must ferments slowly in an attic subject to wide differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Ageing
The wine matures for more than 10 years in small oak barrels.
Label / history
“Occhio di Pernice” means “partridge’s eye,” a Tuscan name for rare sweet wines made from Sangiovese. Vin Santo’s name means “holy wine”: it was traditionally bottled during Easter week and released before Easter. It was used for Communion for centuries and remains associated with Easter and other holidays.
Melini was founded in 1705 in Pontassieve, near Florence. Its wines remained confined to the domestic market until the mid-19th century. In 1865, Alfredo Laborel Melini developed a woven straw bottle covering that allowed the wines to be transported safely abroad. The Florence Chamber of Commerce awarded Melini a diploma and Gold Medal in 1877 for developing and strengthening major overseas markets for Tuscan wines. In the early 20th century, the estate acquired about 200 hectares of vineyards in the Chianti Classico area and built a winery in Gaggiano di Poggibonsi, where it remains. Melini is part of the “Italian Wine Group.”
