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
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
Climate trend
The weather in the vintage 2021 was quite regular. Rains in spring enabled good foliage development. and provided abundant water supplies for the drier summer months. The only phenomenon registered in springtime was a slight alteration in bud development times, owing to lower than averega temperatures for a few days after Easter, which slowed down the process of vegetation in the cooler areas.
The health of the plants was not threatened by fungal diseases (powdery mildew and leaf blight). The summer was dry with only sporadic rain in August, but the reserves of water accumulated in spring prevented the vines from suffering drought. Summer temperatures were generally within the norm without excessive heatwaves.
From late August, the temperatures remained high during the day but dropped down at night. This high diurnal range allowed to preserve the acidity of the grapes, resulting in a great phenolic ripeness.
