Today’s discovery features a story of surprising contrasts. A regal, artisanally made and deliciously old school Riserva Chianti from one of Tuscany’s most impressive and historic estates, and one of Italy’s most successful families in the beverage industry. The wine is a soaring Chianti Colli Fiorentini from the 2019 vintage. The estate is known as Torre A Cona, and the family that owns it is the Conte Rossi di Montelera. You might know of their claim to fame: Martini & Rossi. That’s right, the same family that founded and owns one of the worlds biggest and most successful vermouth labels along with many other spirit and wine brands has a historic estate in Tuscany, purchased in 1935, where they make surprisingly traditional, handmade wines that are like love songs to Sangiovese.
Perhaps it’s not too surprising that 30 plus year old vines of Sangiovese grown at 370 plus meters (1200 feet) of altitude on the famous Tuscan limestone known as Albese can make very tasty wine. But what you don’t expect is that the Rossi family would eschew international styles and instead age their wine in a combination of tanks and large oak barrels. They also limit yields drastically, and make a paltry 3000 or so bottles of this wine each year. Throw in the excellent 2019 vintage and presto: deliciously classic Chianti appears.
The beautiful and palatial Torre a Cona estate dates to 1310, and like most large Tuscan villas during the Medieval and Renaissance periods it would have also been a working farm with orchards, olive groves, livestock, grains, and of course wine grapes. But it wasn’t until 1882 when the Padoa family purchased the estate that commercial wine production started. Leon Emilio Padoa rejuvenated the vineyards, planted new ones, and renovated the cellar. In 1935 ownership transferred to the Rossi di Montelera family, the founders of Martini & Rossi Vermouth. Today the newest generation of Rossi–Ludivica, Niccolò, and Leonardo–are at the helm.
The Chianti Riserva “Terre di Cino” is 100% Sangiovese sourced from the best parcels of older vines planted on pure Albese (limestone mixed with sand and clay loam). After harvesting at the peak of balance between ripeness and structure, the fruit is gravity fed into stainless steel tanks for a seven day maceration and fermentation. Aging is exclusively in large, Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, and the wine is aged an additional two years in bottle before release.
The 2019 vintage was a generationally great one in Tuscany, and this soaring Chianti embodies that good fortune. Serve it at cellar temperature in Burgundy stems after a good decant of 30-60 minutes. Chianti is often compared to Brunello using the violin versus cello metaphor, but this deep, complex Sangiovese is actually in the middle; I’ll call it a viola. Black and red cherries lead the aromatic attack, with Damson plum and raspberry liqueur in the background, while classic notes of wild sage, tar, dried mushrooms, crushed violets, and saline minerals lead to a long, savory finish. A ragù of wild boar would be a perfect pairing. Buon appetito!
