History
Vineyard establishment
Vineyards associated with the estate’s original Tenuta Perano and Tenuta Perano Riserva bottlings were planted in 1999. The recorded planting configuration comprised 5,500 vines per hectare trained to spur-pruned cordon.
The 2015 vintage
The first vintage of Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico Riserva was 2015. That vintage was based on Sangiovese with a small proportion of Merlot, selected from southwest-facing vineyards planted on stony galestro soils.
The 2015 vintage also forms the earliest documented vintage in the current Tenuta Perano and Rialzi ranges. Rialzi was conceived as the estate’s Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from pure Sangiovese, selected from a small, naturally stepped vineyard facing the medieval village of Vertine.
Development of the estate range
Tenuta Perano developed a three-tier interpretation of Chianti Classico: Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico, Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico Riserva and Rialzi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. The Riserva is distinguished by manual selection and prolonged maturation in oak, while Rialzi is tied to a specific high-altitude vineyard formed by three natural terraces.
Lamberto Frescobaldi has described Tenuta Perano as a long-pursued family ambition and Rialzi as the realization of a dream pursued over many years. The selection of the Rialzi vineyard expresses the family’s stated commitment to continuous improvement and to interpreting individual places within the estate.
Terroir
Location and elevation
Tenuta Perano lies in the historic Chianti area between Gaiole and Radda, within the municipality of Gaiole in Chianti in the Province of Siena. The estate extends over more than 250 hectares. Its general elevation ranges from approximately 400 to 500 metres, while the principal descriptions of its vineyards place them at about 500 metres. This is close to the upper limit considered suitable here for late-ripening red varieties such as Sangiovese.
Landform, exposure and air movement
Three amphitheatre-like formations dominate the property. Their south-western orientation captures and reflects sunlight, concentrates warmth and supports grape ripening at this high elevation. The vineyards occupy markedly steep slopes. Their configuration encourages healthy air circulation, while the surrounding woods send cool breezes through the vineyards at night. The combination of warm daylight, ventilation and cooler nights shapes the estate's mesoclimate.
Climate and soils
The climate is continental. Soils contain a high proportion of stones and are described more specifically as marl and limestone, including the local stony Alberese formation. The steep gradients and skeletal soils promote drainage. At Rialzi, the stepped configuration is especially free-draining.
Rialzi
Rialzi occupies an elevated position at 500 metres and above, with a south-west exposure. It rises over three natural terraces of Alberese soil and faces the medieval village of Vertine. The vineyard's altitude, exposure, slope, drainage and distinctive microclimate underpin its selection as the estate's single-vineyard expression.
Winemaking
Vineyard work is adapted to the estate’s high altitude, steep gradients and distinct exposures. The recorded vineyards planted in 1999 have a density of 5,500 vines per hectare and are trained to spur-pruned cordon.
Harvesting is manual. Grapes for Tenuta Perano are picked by hand; fruit for the Riserva is carefully selected in the vineyard, harvested manually and subjected to rigorous selection. Rialzi receives particularly careful vineyard attention before hand harvesting, followed by another detailed selection on arrival at the cellar.
The elevated, amphitheatre-shaped sites benefit from abundant sunlight and warmth while remaining well ventilated. Mild daytime and nighttime air movement supports fruit set and moderates summer heat. Stony, sloping soils and Rialzi’s natural terraces assist drainage.
Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico
Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Skin maceration is accompanied by controlled, careful pump-overs to extract polyphenols and establish colour and structure. The components mature in barriques and stainless steel for 12 months. Wood ageing contributes tertiary aromatic complexity, and maturation continues in bottle before release.
Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico Riserva
The Riserva begins with manual selection in the vineyard. The hand-harvested grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. The cap is broken frequently to obtain the desired polyphenolic extraction and the colour and structure associated with the Riserva. The wine matures for 24 months in oak; Slavonian oak barrels are specifically identified for the range. A further period of bottle maturation follows.
Rialzi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Rialzi is made from Sangiovese harvested by hand from its three-terraced vineyard. The fruit is sorted again in the cellar. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, with skin maceration and gentle pump-overs for polyphenolic extraction. Total maturation lasts 36 months, including 24 months in barriques, followed by additional bottle ageing before release.
Philosophy
Tenuta Perano’s identity is founded on treating place as the determining element of wine character. The broader Frescobaldi approach seeks to let every estate reflect the authenticity and distinguishing features of its own territory rather than applying a uniform formula across properties.
Lamberto Frescobaldi describes the development of the family estates as a means of revealing the singularity of their wines. In his view, each estate requires individual treatment that respects its vineyards and preserves its identity. At Perano, this principle is expressed through the use of high, steep and strongly exposed sites, the separation of the Rialzi cru and a range built around different interpretations of Sangiovese.
Rialzi embodies the estate’s stated pursuit of excellence. Its selection from a small, rocky, naturally terraced vineyard reflects an emphasis on site specificity, meticulous work in the vineyard, hand harvesting and repeated selection. Tradition is paired with controlled stainless-steel fermentation, precise extraction and measured maturation in oak and bottle.