Sometimes overlooked, Rufina is the most northeasterly of all Chianti’s subregions. It is a sun-drenched hilly terrain with balmy summers and vineyards that frequently ripen earlier than neighboring subregions to the south and west. Paradoxically, the handful of flowing rivers that carve up Rufina also bring cooler nighttime temperatures than the rest of Chianti. The result is a terroir producing wines that are often more robust and masculine than elsewhere in the region, but that also possess impressive detail and finesse. I often think of the best examples of Chianti Rufina as being a hybrid of the nuance and rusticity of Chianti Classico and the depth and power of Brunello di Montalcino. With less than 25 producers in total, Rufina stays relatively invisible in the global wine market. The culture of the region is more rural, rustic, and generally more connected to agriculture than luxurious tasting rooms and mass marketing. But despite Rufina being an underappreciated and perhaps under-resourced region, this offer is proof that its soils and climate possesses all that is necessary to produce truly world class wine at a refreshingly modest price.
Fortunately, Cerreto Libri grower/winemaker, Andrea Zanfei (
who is always shadowed by his wise old canine companion), does nothing to conceal or obscure the purity of this terroir. All fruit on the property is grown in strict accordance with Organic and Biodynamic principles. Furthermore, there is no sulfur introduced to the juice at any point during vinification. Grapes are simply loaded into a battery of ancient WWII-era concrete fermentation tanks. When fermentation is complete, the wine is left to slowly mature in enormous neutral French oak casks until bottling. There is no filtering, no fining, and hardly any mechanized equipment in the property’s tiny cellar.
The 2009 Cerreto-Libri Chianti Rufina has a dark crimson core moving to a garnet and orange reflections on the rim. Aromas are savory, meaty and highly complex, with notes of sour cherry, red currant, dried orange peel, dried roses, thyme, sage, dried tobacco, leather, red miso and fresh clay. The palate is medium bodied, but with a density and power on the palate that gives the impression of a much richer wine. Flavors of just picked sour cherries, wild berries, and tobacco dominate the palate, with a supporting cast of dried flowers and a final hint of exotic dried spices. This wine begins to open up after 20-30 minutes in a decanter and shows best after an hour at roughly 60-65 degrees, which allows its more delicate floral aromatic to remain intact. This is not a simple wine to pour alongside a tomato based pasta dish—it can stand up to much more intense flavors and robust textures. To make the most of this beautiful wine, I recommend pairing with this
Grilled Lamb Chop preparation. Fire up the grill, fill the decanter, and strap yourself in.
