Although Chiara Condello’s first commercial vintage was only 2015, she comes from a wine family and has quickly become one of the most compelling voices in Romagna Sangiovese. Her Le Lucciole riserva has helped put Predappio on the map as one of the key subzones of Romagna Sangiovese, a hillside district many consider a prime site for the grape. Condello farms her own vineyards organically on marl, sandstone, and spungone soils at elevation, and her style leans toward finesse, perfume, and silky texture rather than heavy extraction or oak.

The 2022 Le Lucciole is 100% Sangiovese from a tiny 0.8-hectare parcel, hand-harvested and fermented with ambient yeasts using a whole-berry approach to preserve bright fruit and keep tannins fine. It then aged for two years in large Slavonian oak botti and another year in bottle before release, resulting in a wine that is layered, refined, and deeply expressive. In the glass, it shows blackberry, black and red cherry, wild strawberry, dried orange peel, violet, tomato leaf, black pepper, and underbrush, with medium-plus body and a plush, polished texture that makes it feel both serious and highly drinkable.

Why You’ll Love It

• It shows a more elegant, perfumed side of Sangiovese, with bright cherry fruit, floral lift, and finely textured tannins.

• The wine comes from Predappio, a subzone increasingly recognized for producing serious, terroir-driven Sangiovese.

• Chiara Condello’s whole-berry, ambient-yeast, large-cask approach gives the wine purity, energy, and depth without heaviness.

How To Serve It

• Decant for about 30 minutes before serving to open up the aromatics and soften the structure.

• Serve at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems to highlight the wine’s perfume and texture.

• Pair with regional Italian dishes, especially roasted meats, mushroom dishes, ragù, or other savory preparations that echo the wine’s earthy spice.