Our Chardonnay is the brainchild of Fabrizio Bianchi, who – in the mid-1970s – decided to plant these vines on the winery’s land outside of the Chianti Classico denomination. Inspired by the great white wines of Burgundy, it was initially fermented entirely in wooden tanks, but since 2000 the volume of oak-fermented grapes has been steadily decreasing – with 70% of the grapes now fermented in stainless steel tanks. There is a large stock of our Chardonnay in our cellar, illustrating this wine’s ability to stand up to the passage of time
Designation
I.G.T. Toscana Bianco
First year of production
1990
Grape varieties
100% Chardonnay
Training system
Guyot and spurred cordon
Vinification
Two thirds of the grapes are vinified in steel vats at controlled temperature, the remaining part in French oak "tonneaux" where it remains on the lees for about 6/7 months
Ageing
One year of bottle aging
Climate trend
The weather in 2012 was ever-changing. Winter was altogether mild with temperatures above seasonal averages, except for a very few days in February when it snowed heavily and temperatures were remarkably low. A rainy Spring delayed sprouting/budding of the vines and resulted in a slight decrease in the quantity of grapes. Scarce rainfall was registered in June and July. August was hot but water-ground reserves assured the normal process of grape ripening. September was characterized by good weather and had the right amount of rainfall with noticeable day and night temperature fluctuations.
