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 2016 vintage will be remembered in Chianti Classico as one of the most beautiful of the last decade. The winter was mild with abundant rains. The first days of April were unusually warm, which resulted in early budding by at least 10 days compared to the average. The month of May was considered average in respect to the season. The summer was quite hot, however it was interspersed with a few rainy days in both July and August which helped the progression of ripening the grapes. A September with cooler but sunny days and excellent temperature variations allowed the harvest of very healthy grapes in early October.