A February trip is in the making for Florence (6 nights). There’ll be time for 2 days of touring and multiple trips to Firenze’s enotecas and cantinas. Perhaps they’ve been too young or the wrong labels, but Super Tuscans have often not excited me. Bright red fruit, balanced oak, controlled extraction, and secondary interest from smaller producers are all preferred characteristics. Elegance, but favoring rusticity above modern/international styling. It seems like Chianti Classico and Rufina have the most to offer. Recommended wines/visits?
I haven’t visited, but San Giusto a Rentennano makes some lovely, lovely plain old Chianti – pure sour cherry sangiovese, great balance, not overpowering and seemingly unoaked. http://www.fattoriasangiusto.it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; They would be high on my list.
Montevertine is on the short list. Looking forward trying some.
John, thanks for the San Giusto a Rentennano recco. Apparently the winery is close to Siena in the southernmost extent of Gaiole in Chianti. A bit far afield, but nice that they have regular tasting room hours.
My wife and I skipped away to a little town called Fiesole a few years ago for a couple of nights, it’s the #7 bus up the hill from Florence. There is a great wine shop in town and the owner can give you all kinds of reco’s and will even offer to make appts for you.
We, unfortunately kept buying wine from him and ended up in the pool and bit tub at our villa and could never motivate to the train to check out wineries. I love Tuscany BTW.
I was there too. Very close to Siena - maybe a 15 minute drive - and Siena’s a breathtaking little city, not to be missed. The Percarlo and La Ricolma bottlings at San Giusto are modern and oaked, but the Chiantis are more traditional and the Vin Santo is as good as it gets. I also remember the cellar door prices being exceptionally cheap!
These days Riecine is my go-to producer when I’m in a Chianti mood.
My wife and I just returned from Italy. We spent a full day in Chianti…I posted notes in the travel section. All three places we visted were great but our visit with Isabetta at Villa del Cigliano and our lunch with Fernando at Montefioralle were memorable.
Just had an amazing bottle from Podere Il Palazzino. Their '81 Chianti Classico “Grosso Sanese” was WOTN for a lot of people at a tasting that included some legendary stuff ('77 Mastroberardino Taurasi, '79 Masi Amarone, '82 Vietti Barbaresco, '81 Maculan Cabernet…)
Can’t help with any information about visits, but in Chianti Rufina, Selvapiana fits your stylistic parameters to a tee. To a somewhat lesser extent in Chianti Classico, take a look at Isole e Olena.
We sell both of them but you can’t find more elegant Chianti than Fattoria di Faltognano Chianti Montalbano (or the Riserva) and Tiberini Chianti Colle Senesi…NO cab, NO barriques, NO Berlusconi!
“Elegant” Chianti doesn’t make me think of a specific producer.
To me, the word elegant calls up memories of Chiantis that I have drunk at 15-20 years old.
What a great transformation, if the Chianti was good to begin with, it turns into such a pure beauty with a few years of age. Very much like what happens to a brash young red Bordeaux after 20 years…
Nobody has mentioned Castell’in Villa in response to someone looking for traditional, restrained chianti?? Jeez. Also, as mentioned above, can’t go wrong with a Montevertine with some age.