2019 Il Palazzino - Chianti Classico Argenina

Podere Il Palazzino has belonged to the Sderci family since the mid-nineteenth century, though wine only became the estate's main focus in the 1970s, when olive oil gave way to viticulture under Alessandro and Andrea Sderci. Today the next generation, Edoardo and Valentina Sderci along with their cousin Claudia, carries the estate forward, pairing traditional methods with a more contemporary sensibility. The property farms organically and keeps cellar intervention to a minimum, relying on wild yeast fermentation and skipping filtration wherever possible.

Argenina comes from a small, three-hectare parcel in the hamlet of the same name, one of the oldest settlements in Monti, within the Gaiole zone of Chianti Classico. The vineyard sits at 310 to 375 meters with southeast to southwest exposure, on volcanic, ocher-toned tuffaceous soil. Made from 100 percent Sangiovese planted fifteen to thirty years ago, the grapes are hand-picked and fermented in steel at cool temperatures to preserve their aromatic lift, then aged in a mix of used barriques and large oak casks.

The wine shows a crimson hue with ripe cherry, fresh leather, toasted rosemary, and juniper on the nose. The palate is medium to full bodied, with ripe tannins and bright acidity carrying an earthy, mineral finish. Pair it with grilled veal chops, pasta with wild mushrooms, or cured meats.