2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
Put this Chianti in your cellar alongside your favorite Bandols, Barolos, and Cornas. In a perfectly ripe vintage, the wine retains nuanced, exotic aromatics and lively acidity thanks to the vines’ elevation high on steep slopes strewn with flaky blue galestro, one of Sangiovese’s favorite soils. Exuberant and fine-grained, this Chianti will impress right away but will truly reward patience as fruit, tannin, and acid meld into an old-school Tuscan classic.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sangiovese |
Appellation: | Chianti Classico Riserva |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Tuscany |
Producer: | Castagnoli |
Winemaker: | Alfred Schefenacker |
Vineyard: | 10 years average, 6.53 ha |
Soil: | Galestro Schist |
Aging: | Wine is raised in 500L barrels (none or very little new depending on vintage) |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Castagnoli Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico
Castagnoli Italy | Tuscany | IGT Toscana
Villa Di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico
Podere Santa Felicita Italy | Tuscany
Perhaps no region is tied to Italy’s reputation as a producer of fine wine as much as Tuscany. Since Etruscan times, viticulture has played a prominent role in this idyllic land of rolling hills, and the Tuscan winemaking tradition remains as strong as ever today. With a favorable Mediterranean climate, an undulating topography offering countless altitudes and expositions, and a wealth of poor, well-draining soils, conditions are ideal for crafting high-quality wines. Add to that the rich gastronomical tradition—Tuscany is home to some of the country’s finest game, pastas, salumi, and cheeses—and you have the blueprint for a world-class wine region.
This is Sangiovese territory; in fact, it is arguably the only place in the world where Sangiovese reaches a truly regal expression. In spite of a rocky history with fluctuations in quality, traditionally produced Chianti has reclaimed its status as one of the country’s most reliable, food-friendly reds, while the rapid rise of Brunello di Montalcino shows the grape’s potential for grandiose, opulent reds allying power and finesse. Traditionally-minded growers have stuck to using only indigenous grape varieties and employing techniques like aging in massive wooden casks known as botti, creating wines of terroir that shine at the Tuscan table.
Tuscan wines have had a place in our portfolio since Kermit’s first visit in 1977. While the names of the estates have changed, the spirit of those first unfiltered Chiantis he imported live on through our current selections.
Podere Santa Felicita Italy | Tuscany
Sesti Italy | Tuscany | Toscana IGT
Villa Di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico
Villa Di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany | IGT Alta Valle della Greve
Castagnoli Italy | Tuscany | IGT Toscana
Villa Di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico Riserva
Castagnoli Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico
Villa Di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany | Chianti Classico Riserva
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
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