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| The festival set in the triangular village square |
How true is the timeless adage: seeing is believing. One needs to come and visit to appreciate the well-exposed terraced vineyards where Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are perfectly ripened vintage after vintage for Castello dei Rampolla’s iconic d’Alceo wine. Equally, one needs to visit La Massa to check out the single vineyard (Parcel number 6) located near the winery that is so well-situated for La Massa’s only 100% Sangiovese cuvée named Carla with its most elegant structure that accentuates the freshness, aromatic complexity and finesse. To highlight its femininity, this wine is specially bottled in a Burgundian shaped bottle. Or how the wines that come from the same slope can have such different styles, exemplified by the wines from Le Fonti, Le Cinciole and Panzanello.
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| Wines by La Massa |
And of course, the other adage: the proof of the pudding is in the eating or in this case, the tasting. Monte Bernardi’s Retromarcia Chianti Classico 2016 with the Sangiovese planted mainly on 70% galestro soils (the local schist-shale soil), with 20% arenaria (sandstone) and 10% alberese (limestone) showed elegance, aromatic complexity and purity, with bright juiciness and acidity. Whereas its Sa’etta Chianti Classico Riserva 2014 with the Sangiovese planted on highly reflective sandstone soils (arenaria-calcare-pietraforte), demonstrated a more linear structure, minerality, power and a long finish. The proprietor had the stones at the stall as illustration.
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| Monte Bernardi's wines at the festival |
Diversity in the soils, innovation with grape varieties, but the wines from Panzano will not be great wines without the ingenious intervention of its winemakers. At Panzano, tradition lives hand in hand with innovation. Alceo of Castello dei Rampolla was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Panzano and to blend it with Cabernet Sauvignon. At the Panzano festival, different winemakers presented their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Merlot, 100% Pinot Nero and 100% Syrah. However, it particularly piqued my interest to try a 100% Canaiolo at the stand of Vallone di Cecione. Vinified in cement and left on skins for 2 months before ageing in cement. The Canaiolo has a particular place in the Anichini’s family tradition. This wine was created to dedicate to this tradition and to showcase this under-appreciated indigenous grape variety with its wildflowers aromatic profile and soft tannins. It was particularly interesting to try this 2016 100% Canaiolo side by side the Chianti Classico of the same vintage, with 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo, to taste what the Canaiolo added to the complexity of the wine.
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| Vallone di Cecione's wines at the festival |
The open mindedness at Panzano has also allowed foreign or non-Tuscan talented winemakers to live their dreams of making quality Chianti Classico wines. A great example is Josephin and Jarkko Peränen. Jarkko is Finnish and Josephin is German. 20 years ago, he went to Tuscany to do a harvest at a small producer. In 2002, he had the opportunity to purchase his own farm – the birth of Candialle. Most of his plantings are south-west oriented Sangiovese, with some Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot plus a very minor portion of Malvasia Nera and Canaiolo.
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| Jarkko and Josephin of Candialle |
The four largest estates in Panzano in Chianti in terms of production volumes are: Fontodi, Castello dei Rampolla, La Massa and Caffagio. I felt that there was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst all the producers. They all share and contribute towards the common vision of sustaining the quality of Panzano wines, whilst making room for individual identities that make Panzano so special.
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| Caffagio's wines presented at the festival |
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| Fontodi's wines presented at the festival |
Different vintages were presented at the festival tasting, with a few producers showing the much-hyped 2015 vintage. 2015 looks set to be a promising vintage, with muscles, concentration and intensity. However, for immediate hedonistic pleasures, I rather enjoyed tasting the 2014 examples for its understated elegance and aromatic charm and some of the 2016 examples for the vibrant acidity.
When we visited, it was very hot and dry. It would be interesting to taste the 2018 in a couple of years to see whether global climate changes have started to challenge viticulture in this sun-kissed village. I understand that some of the producers were already considering planting less fully south to mitigate the direct impact of the intense sun in a warming vineyard.
Being ignorant first-time visitors, we were rather unprepared to explore fully this charming village’s treasure trove. I would have loved to actually visit some of the producers – some even within walking distance of our friends’ villa. (We did visit one – La Massa.)
Nonetheless, we were very privileged to be invited to join a retrospective tasting of back vintages for these 21 producers. Each year the producers would present the back vintages ending with the same last digit as the year of the festival. The vintages of 2008 and 1998 were featured in this year’s retrospective tasting, with one producer including a 1988 wine. Both 1998 and 2008 were cooler classic vintages.
If there could be one conclusion from the retrospective tasting, it was that the top wines of Panzano in Chianti certainly could age well and some very very well. I list below my top picks from the retrospective tasting (note that not every producer showed both vintages).
If there could be one conclusion from the retrospective tasting, it was that the top wines of Panzano in Chianti certainly could age well and some very very well. I list below my top picks from the retrospective tasting (note that not every producer showed both vintages).
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| The retrospective tasting....Yinghsien Tan MW as guest of honour |
We were also very privileged to be invited to an evening reception hosted by the Unione Viticoltori di Panzano in Chianti. Apart from the wonderful wines, we were also able to taste some fabulous local produce, including sheep and goat cheese, charcuterie and roasted pork. I have to admit that the Nutella calzone, drizzled with honey, was irresistible, despite the non-Tuscan provenance of its key ingredient.
A Panzano event would not be complete without the presence of world-renowned master of beef: Dario Cecchini who equally put Panzano on the world’s gourmet map, as much as its wines. Dario is an international personality and a butcher extraordinaire, with his theatrical and artistic style. In 1976, he took over the family’s shop after his father’s premature death and became the 8th generation of Cecchini butchers. Dario will be doing a world tour in November, and one of his stops will be Hong Kong. The master will be showcasing his mastery of cooking beef at Grappa’s this November. Be sure to make your reservation for dinner on 24th November or lunch on 25th November. (www.dariocecchini.com)
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| Dario and his wife Kim outside the family butcher shop |
If you are planning to visit this wonderful region, try to time your visit around next year’s festival which will be held between 12 and 15 September 2019. You will find more details here: www.viticoltoripanzano.com
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| Luca Orsini and Valeria Vigano of Le Cinciole Valeria also current President of the Unione Viticoltori di Panzano in Chianti |
My top picks from the Panzano retrospective tasting:
Chianti Classico Riserva Don Vincenzo, Casaloste, 2008
Fattoria Casaloste has 19 hectares of vines, 10.5 ha of which produce Chianti Classico. Agronomist and enologist Giovanni Battista d’Orsi, together with his wife Emilia run the winery. Total production of the winery is 60,000 bottles a year.
Don Vincenzo’s first vintage was 1995. It is made with 100% Sangiovese from a single vineyard – Don Vincenzo, named after owner Giovanni’s father Vincenzo. It is made only in the best vintages. Aged 18-24 months in barriques (usually about 12% new and the rest one-year), followed by 18 months in 35 hl barrels, and 12 months in bottle before release. Only about 3,300 bottles produced a year.
Castello dei Rampolla D’Alceo 2008
Castello dei Rampolla D’Alceo 1998
The land upon which Castello dei Rampolla winery now stands has been in the family since 1739. Thanks to the vision and relentless efforts of one man, Alceo di Napoli Rampolla, the winery’s first bottles of Chianti Classico were produced in 1975 when the appellation was struggling to be appreciated. Next he teamed up with Giacomo Tachis to be the first in the area to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and to blend it with Sangiovese. The current generation (Luca and Maurizia) started the conversion to biodynamic viticulture and winemaking in 1994. Never stopping with innovations, Castello dei Rampolla started experimenting with vinification in terracotta (cocciopesto) amphorae in 2008. In 2010, Sangiovese di S. Lucia, a pure Sangiovese, vinified and aged in terracotta amphorae, with no added sulphites, was launched. The winery also makes a white wine, vinified in amphorae. It is a blend of 50% Trebbiano, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Traminer.
The first vintage of D’Alceo started in 1996. This is a biodynamic wine and a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. 3 months vinification in concrete, 12-15 months in 500 litre tonneaux and 18-24 months in bottle before release. The vines are planted on south-facing galestro slopes of the Conca d’Oro and trained low as bush-trained vines (albarello). Production is 6,000 – 12,000 bottles. The Conca d’Oro is translated as the “golden shell”, referring to the amphitheatre shape of the valley south of the village of Panzano.
I hate to say that they were like Bordeaux classed growths, because these wines clearly have their own distinct personality. However, the minerality, complexity (red fruits, floral and tobacco) and elegant structure of these wines were so distinctly different from other styles from Panzano that it would be hard not to direct the mind towards Bordeaux, or even more precisely Saint Julien.
Flaccianello della Pieve, Fontodi, 1998
Fontodi is the largest producer that lies in the heart of the Conca d’Oro (see above explanation). Fontodi has been owned by the Manetti family since 1968. The family has a long-established connection with the region through its terracotta business. The organically certified estate stretches 130 hectares, of which 70 hectares are planted with vines.
The Flaccianello della Pieve is a 100% Sangiovese wine. Aged 2 years in French barriques. About 60,000 bottle production.
Giorgio Primo, La Massa, IGT Toscana, 2008 (magnum)
Chianti Classico, Giorgio Primo, La Massa, 1998
Former technical director of a family-owned tannery business, Giampaolo Motta acquired the property Fattoria La Massa in 1992. Production is about 160,000 bottles, about 120,000 – 130,000 of which are La Massa. Giorgio Primo’s production accounts for about 20-30,000 bottles. Only 5,000 bottles of Carla are produced. Francesco Bufalini joined in 2005 as Director of the business.
Between 1992 and 2001, Giorgio Primo was sold as Chianti Classico. From 2002, it was sold as IGT Toscana, with still a Sangiovese component. From 2007, the Sangiovese component was removed from Giorgio Primo. The 2015 vintage of Giorgio Primo is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.
Chianti Classico Fontissimo, Le Fonti, 2008
Le Fonti is a boutique winery with production about 40-50,000 bottles. The Schmitt-Vitali family acquired it in 1994.
The Fontissimo started off as a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2003, Merlot was added to the blend. Sangiovese was briefly removed from the blend in the vintages of 2012 and 2013. From 2014, the wine was returned to a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Aged 2 years in French barriques.
Sa’etta Chianti Classico Riserva, Monte Bernardi, 2008 (magnum)
The Schmelzer family acquired the property in 2003. The name Monte Bernardi dates back to 1085. The estate covers 53 hectares, of which 9.5 hectares are vineyards. The vines enjoy a southerly exposure, at 350 metres of altitude. Soils are mixed types, with different stone content: galestra (clay-schist), arenaria (sandstone) and alberese (limestone). The winery is certified organic and practises biodynamic viticulture.
The Sa’etta Chianti Classico Riserva is 100% Sangiovese. 50 year old vines. Aged 2 years in 3hl barrels and one year in bottle before release.
San Martino IGT Toscana, Villa Cafaggio, 2008
Situated in the Conca d’Oro, Cafaggio covers 60 hectares, of which 30 hectares are planted with vines, and about 10 hectares as olive grove. The winery’s history dates to 1408.
San Martino is a 100% Sangiovese with a modern touch. Aged 18 months in oak barrels and 6 months in bottle before release. Production of 15,000 bottles.
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| Panzano enrobed in a warm pink hue at dusk |
Full list of the 21 members of the Unione Viticoltori di Panzano in Chianti, in alphabetical order:
Basilica Cafaggio
Candialle
Casaloste
Castello dei Rampolla
Cennatoio
Fontodi
Il Molino di Grace
Il Palagio di Panzano
La Massa
La Quercia
Le Cinciole
Le Fonti
L’Orcio a Ca’Di Pesa
Monte Bernardi
Panzanello
Renzo Marinai
Rignana
Tenuta degli Dei
Vallone di Cecione
Vecchie Terre di Montefili
Vignole
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