Chianti Classico in pictures
db was treated to blue skies and the region’s signature cypress trees on a recent visit to Chianti Classico
The cypresses loomed large in Chianti Classico, dotting the grand gravel driveways of many a castello
One such castle, the 12th century Castello di Gabbiano, was our first port of call. Making estate grown wines since 1124, the winery is currently owned by Treasury Wine Estates with Federico Cerelli at the helm as chief winemaker.
Not a good time to lose your head – a bust resembling Michelangelo’s David graces the dining room of Castello di Monsanto.
During a tour of the labyrinthine cellars, we stumbled across this terrifying character
Back out in the sunshine, we were rather taken with this proud lion
When the sun shines in Tuscany, there are few places on earth that can match its beauty
Matteo, assistant winemaker at Castello di Gabbiano takes Robin Don MW up to his fermentation room.
Chianti Classico’s famous gallo nero, which sets its bottles apart from the more mass produced Chianti
It is now a legal requirement for all bottles of Chianti Classico to boast the black rooster logo
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Bernado Bianchi, chief winemaker at Colle Bereto shows us a collection of plants he forages for, including mustard flowers.
An idyllic lunch spot at Colle Bereto where we gorged on homemade pasta and were treated to a bottle of Colle Bereto Chianti Classico Riserva 1995, which had aged in a similar way to an old Gran Reserva Rioja, offering autumnal leafy notes, alongside leather and game.
In addition to Chianti, Bernado also makes a small amount of sparkling wine, which went down a treat before lunch.
When life gives you lemons…
Unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy the pool at the stunning Castello di Gabbiano
Jacopo Morgante of Il Molino di Grace, talks us through his wine range and the fact that the vast majority of producers in Panzano are organic.
His wines were tasting like a dream during our visit, all sour cherries, juicy plums and wild strawberries with hints of herbs and spices.
The American owner of Il Molino di Grace is a keen art collector, as exemplified by this towering chap.
Our next visit took us to Fonterutoli, owned by Tuscan powerhouse Mazzzei, where we were greeted by CEO Francesco Mazzei, who rhapsodised about the quality of the 2015 vintage, dubbing it “the vintage of the century” due to its “perfect” conditions where everything was in balance.
Mazzei produces Chianti Classico under the Castello di Fonterutoli brand, which is represented in the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines. Among the wines in its portfolio are a Gran Selezione, Siepi – a single vineyard Sangiovese/Merlot blend, and Mix 36, a Sangiovese made from 36 different clones of the grape.
And finally… during a pitstop to Florence we headed to the indoor market, where this beast of a white truffle was going for a mere €330,000.
