0.75L / 13%

TASTING DESCRIPTORS

Our Chianti Classico Riserva has a full garnet-red color. The nose is ample with delicate fragrances of red fruits, violets, irises, licorice, wood spice, and earth. The palate is full and balanced, showing notes of almonds, tobacco, toasted wood, bright red fruits, sweet herbs, exotic spices, and delicate minerals that lead to robust tannins and a long finish.

VINTAGE

The 2011 Vintage was exceptionally successful. Though the estate experienced more rain than usual in the winter and spring, overall, the summer was warmer and dryer than in the past. Temperatures were ideal during the maturation period in September and October: the average high during harvest in September was 72°F with a low of 60°F; October saw an average high of 72°F and a low of 52°F. Typically, September at Castello d'Albola, Radda in Chianti has an average high of 80°F and low of 60°F; for October the temperature averages a high of 70°F and a low of 59°F. As a result, this perfect temperature range added an excellent perfume and elegance to the 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva.

VINEYARDS

Due to its size, this nine-hectare (22 acres) vineyard is completely cultivated by hand. The vines for the Riserva are, therefore, treated as a single-estate vineyard, and valuable time is dedicated to it, guaranteeing high quality results. The land itself, which is comprised predominantly of clay-based soil, sits ideally atop a steep slope, allowing for excellent sun exposure. One can detect the high altitude of the vineyard in this wine's finesse, the heat of the earth in its depth, and the nuances of woodlands in its extraordinarily elegant bouquet.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

"The 2010 Riserva grapes were handpicked and fermented using our traditional methods. After fermentation and maceration, malolactic fermentation transpired in steel tanks. The wine did not go through clarification or filtration, and was placed in oak casks to age for two years. While 10% was aged in 225-liter French oak barriques for one year, the remaining wine underwent one year in a 3,400-liter Slavonian oak barrel, called "botte". Made from the finest Sangiovese grapes at our estate, its tannins give the wine its extraordinary texture, and are as concentrated as the fruit is mellow. The 2010 shows a distinct tangy quality on the palate and rich fruit on the nose, with evolved tones of fruit and dried flowers. It is a wine that expresses perfectly the terroir of our Chianti Classico zone." – Alessandro Gallo