Casavecchia alla Piazza is the name of the small farm in the heart of Chianti Classico that Gabriele Buondonno and Valeria Sodano purchased in 1988. Documents from the 16th century show that it once belonged to one Lionnardo Buonarotti, Michelangelo’s nephew. There’s even correspondence between the two arranging shipments of wine to the Pope as a gift.
When Gabriele and Valeria arrived their first order of business was implementing organic agriculture, and they still age their wines in an ancient cellar under the property’s main farmhouse. This place is like a beautifully restored painting or fresco, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that even a $25 bottle of Sangiovese from Buondonno is a little work of art. We’re always declaring this or that wine to be the “value of the year,” and it sure is tempting to do so here, but that might be understating it. This much energy, purity, authenticity, and sheer pleasure doesn’t come along at this price point very often. Another trope we’re fond of around here is “a lot of wine for the money,” and this 2018 is that and more. It’s a perfect little slice of Tuscany you can afford to put on “repeat” for months (even years) to come.
Some subscribers will remember our offer of Buondonno’s spectacular, and similarly inexpensive, Chianti Classico a few months ago. Given the incredible quality and soulfulness of these wines, I wouldn’t be surprised if we worked our way through their entire lineup over time: Buondonno really is everything you could ask for in artisanal Italian wine. Gabriele and Valeria were early members of the Coordinamento Toscano Produttori Biologici, a consortium of organic wineries in Tuscany, and by 2000 they were certified. The operation has remained small and resolutely hands-on, covering a total of 24 hectares, 11 of which are vineyards (including some 70-year-old Sangiovese plantings). Soils are the classic Chiantigiano mix of clay, schist, sandstone, and limestone marl, and the average altitudes of their vineyards, clustered around the hamlet of Castellina in Chianti, hover around 425 meters. In addition to the star attraction, Sangiovese, they farm traditional Tuscan varieties like Colorino and Canaiolo, along with “international” grapes such as Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
Today’s wine is something you’ll see all over Tuscany, whether it’s Chianti, Montalcino, or somewhere else: the easy-drinking, entry-level bottling, usually culled from younger vines, often unoaked, and often billed as the “house wine” of the estate. In years past, these wines usually carried a vino da tavola (“table wine”) designation, but these days, they’re more likely to be labeled as “Toscana Rosso,” a geographic indication (IGT) that is less codified than DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin). In some vintages, Gabriela and Valeria add trace amounts of Syrah and Merlot to this wine, though it is often 100% Sangiovese from their estate vineyards.
Even at this price tier, which is mostly populated with mass-produced labels, we’re talking about artisan-scale production: about 7,000 bottles total of the Toscana Rosso in a typical vintage. The wine is fermented in a combination of concrete and steel tanks and aged in a combination of concrete and large oak vats. It’s a deeply classic rendition of the Sangiovese grape, juicy and tangy without being thin or sharp; in fact, you’ll find more depth than you were probably expecting. It shines a bright garnet-red in the glass, with textbook aromas of black cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, plum, tomato leaf, pepper, tobacco, leather, and underbrush. It is medium-bodied, fresh and juicy, well-suited to a light chill, and ready for action: steaks on the grill, burgers, pork loin, pizza…the fruit/earth balance of this wine, combined with its invigorating tension, makes it a true all-purpose food wine. Serve it at 60 degrees in Bordeaux stems and, like Gabriele and Valeria, make it your house pour. We’re all itching to entertain again—this well-priced crowd-pleaser is up to the task!
