2013 Toscana Rosso “Salita”

The Castagnoli vineyards are a sight to behold: towering over a boundless panorama of rolling hills and saturated with scents of wild herbs and flowers, this is Tuscan paradise. Among the steep, terraced rows of alberello-trained Sangiovese vines, outcrops of layered blue galestro stone peek out from beneath the soil and litter flaky debris all about. And yet the vines seem quite happy growing out of almost pure rock, perhaps thanks to the biodynamic preparations intended to fertilize the land and boost the plant’s immune function. In the cellar, the most basic “technology”—open-top fermentation bins and used barrels—suffices to usher the transformation of grape to wine.

Salita is a declassified Chianti Classico from the estate’s most prized parcel, a sun-drenched incline that yields a full-throttle Sangiovese loaded with the flavors of its terroir. It is proof that Chianti’s top sites, when worked the right way, can still make food-friendly, cellar-worthy wines among the world’s finest. –Anthony Lynch

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

• Vintage 2013
• Bottle Size 750mL
• Blend Sangiovese
• Appellation Chianti Classico Riserva
• Country Italy
• Region Tuscany
• Vineyard 9 years average, 6.53 ha
• Soil Galestro Schist
• Winemaker Sonia Ermini
• Aging Wine ages for 18 months in neutral oak barrels
• Farming Organic
• Alcohol 14.5%