2021 Le Cinciole - Chianti Classico (750ml)

In 1991, Luca Orsini and Valeria Viganò left their careers in Milan behind and bought a small property in Panzano in Chianti, teaching themselves winemaking from scratch in what would prove a difficult first vintage. More than three decades later, the estate has become one of the most respected small producers in the appellation, still run by the couple with a hands-on approach that favors organic and biodynamic farming over any modern shortcut.

The vineyards sit in Panzano's Conca d'Oro, roughly ten hectares planted mostly to Sangiovese at 430 to 470 meters, facing southeast and southwest across the famous galestro soil, a clay-based schist resting on a bedrock of pietraforte. Grapes are picked by hand and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts before the wine settles into large, mostly neutral oak barrels for about a year, a gentle approach meant to let the vineyard speak rather than the wood.

The result is fragrant and precise, opening with cherry blossom, violet, and rose petal before giving way to redcurrant and sour cherry on the palate. Tannins are fine and powdery, with a savory, faintly earthy note running through the finish. It pairs naturally with grilled sausage, tomato-based pasta, or a wedge of aged pecorino.