Chianti

We are in Tuscany, in the heart of Tuscany, exactly in the territory between Florence, Siena and Arezzo, among the green and sweet Chianti hills. It is right here that starts our journey to discover the excellences of the BelPaese, and it is here that the most famous and appreciated Italian wine was born: the Chianti wine. It is a noble wine exported all lover the world, a wine characterized by a ruby red tone, the aromatic flavor of red fruits, almond, and a winey smell with floral hints of iris, violet and vanilla. There are different types of Chianti wine; each of them has different characteristics connected to the territory and the techniques of its production. Its quality is the result of the work and mastery of the wine producers, who carefully choose the grapes in order to offer a genuine and high-quality product. The annual production is about sixty three million bottles. This is our personal classification of the best Italian wineries producing this special wine.

Vignamaggio – Surrounded by a unique and suggestive panorama, half way between Florence and Siena, Vignamaggio was established in 1404 and it has been producing wine for over six hundred years. It has maintained its ancient artisanal wine-making techniques and its fifteenth-century cellar, with its structure, creates the ideal conditions for a completely natural wine maturation. The company produces eight types of wine; we recall the Chianti Classico Terre di Prenzano e Gherardino, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione “Riserva di Monna Lisa” and the Vinsanto. In addition to the wine, it also produces high-quality extra virgin olive oil. (Via Petriolo 5 – 50022 Greve in Chianti (FI) – Tel. +39 055 854661)

Montemaggiore – Located in the municipality of Capraie and surrounded by hectares of nature, the company produces Le Tornaie Chianti DOCG, La Commenda Chianti Riserva DOCG, Stroncoli IGT Toscana and Cuvée Sant’Anna IGT Toscana. Their grape varieties range from the traditional Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Canaiolo Nero and Malvasia, to the most recent ones such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines’ fermentation is carried out at a controlled temperature, in order to preserve the aromas and the fragrances; they are later stored in steel and oak barrels and barriques. (Loc. Palazzuolo – 52048 Monte San Savino (AR) – Tel. +39 0575 847048)

Quercia al Poggio – Owned by the Rossi Family, the property extends on a natural reserve full of woods where olive trees and grapevines are cultivated according to the organic farming procedures. This winery produces Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico, released on market three years after fermentation has finished, Quercia al Poggio Riserva and Vinsanto. The wines are left to age in 500-litre oak barrels, alternating new and used wood to give the product a perfect balance of fruit and oak-derived aromas. (Strada di Quercia al Poggio – 50021 Barberino Val D’elsa (FI) – Tel. 055 807 5278)

Tenuta del Palagio – Wine producers for over two hundred years, this small winery that produces a wide range of wines, but mainly the Chianti Classico. The estate uses traditional methods of production, paying attention to the new enological technologies. The territory and the salubrious climate, as well as the synergy between the winemakers, the oenologists, the agronomists and the cellar men contribute to create a high quality wine. (Via Campòli 104 ex 140 – 50020 Mercatale Val di Pesa (FI) -Tel. +39 055 821630)

La Tancia – It is a family-run company owned by Domenico Silla, a keen winemaker who has enlarged the terrain surface over the centuries, where today it has 175 hectares cultivated. The estate holds two bottling lines and a 40.000 hectolitre storage capacity in stainless steel and vitreous cement tanks. It produces Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, Chianti DOCG, Chianti Riserva DOCG and the Vinsanto Chianti DOC, a yellow-gold hue wine with hints of hazelnut, caramel and dry flowers. (Loc. Pontenuovo, 10 – 50028, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (FI) – Tel. +39 055 8070130)