2020 Fattoria Rodáno Chianti Classico
WINEMAKER: Enrico Pozzesi
REGION: Tuscany, IT
VARIETY: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino
VITICULTURE: Organic
90% Sangiovese 10% Canaiolo & Colorino - ambient yeasts. 22 days maceration, 15 months ageing in Slovenian Botte Grande. This is from one of the great areas in Chianti (Castellina) from organically grown grapes, hand tended vines, hand harvested, fermented with natural yeasts and aged in large neutral botte grande (foudre) - there are not many Tuscan estates making wine like that these days..
Gloriously bright vibrant cherry-red in the glass. On the nose, classically seductive Sangiovese aromas of fresh red cherries and sweet tobacco with a very complex lingering perfume. In the mouth it is gorgeous; vibrant, fresh and bright with a fine balance and admirable concentration. The finish is elegant and lingering with gentle sweetness and attractive grip. An impeccably balanced wine that will keep in the cellar. Sangiovese is one of the world's greatest red grapes capable of producing wines of power aligned to grace and definition - this is a serious bargain for the quality.
The Rodano fattoria (farm), only reachable by a unsealed road off the Via Chiantigiana, was for centuries, a staging post for pilgrims travelling south to Rome. It sits atop a high hill and surveys a classically Tuscan landscape of rolling vine-striped hills and valleys, including the amphitheatre of the Viacosta vineyard... The style of the Rodáno Chianti bottlings is traditional, with Sangiovese playing a dominant role in all of the estate’s various bottlings. The Chianti Classico (a blend of 90% Sangiovese with 5% each of Colorino and Canaiolo) is aged entirely in large Slovenian “botte,” and the Riserva is a combination of these large casks and a small ammount of used barriques. Like all great traditional Sangiovese-based wines, the Rodáno wines show exceptionally lovely, bright acidity that adds freshness and focus on the palate. There is a liveliness and drive to these wines that resonates not only in the mouth but in all the senses; a very rare quality.
Rodáno farm organically, ferment with natural yeasts, and tend towards minimal intervention in the making of the wine. These are seriously wonderful, traditional Chianti brimming with succulent, earthy red cherries and gentle hints of tobacco. Medium-bodied and refreshing with glorious fruit on the palate and fine structure. A great discovery!