Montesecondo Chianti Classico 2022 750ml

Montesecondo comprises two separate properties: both are biodynamically farmed and both lie in San Casciano in Val di Pesa at the northern edge of the Chianti Classico zone. The original family vineyard, generally referred to as "Montesecondo" or "Cerbaiai", is lower-altitude, warmer, gently cloped and with heavier clay soils near the town of Cerbaia; it is mainly Sangiovese with some co-planted Canaiolo and Colorino. The second part, referred to as "Vignano" for the name of its tiny hamlet, features parcels that are cooler, hillier, rich in limestone, up at 450 meters and north-facing. The Chianti is a blend of both parts of the estate, with proportions varying by vintage.

The bunches are hand-harvested and mainly destemmed but with the berries left whole. They are fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and without sulfur in concrete tanks. Maceration lasts around 12 days and there are no extractive techniques, only a submerged cap or cappello sommerso. The wine is aged partly in 15-hectoliter foudres and partly in concrete for up to one and half years. It is bottled with a small amount of sulfur and without fining or filtering and is released in the late spring two years after the vintage.

"The 2022 Chianti Classico is a powerful wine, one that marries the intensity of the year with the translucent energy that is such a signature here. Readers will have to be patient, as this is far from an easygoing Chianti Classico. Time in the glass releases the aromatics somewhat, but the 2022 is in no mood to show all of its cards. It is easily one of the most reticent wines of the vintage."
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media