Riecine Chianti Classico 2021, DOCG Chianti Classico, Italy

Riecine’s first wine, first bottled 50 years ago by an English advertising executive and a strong-minded Italian woman. The label might have changed slightly over the years, but the wine has always remained faithful to itself, representing an idea of a pleasantly austere Chianti Classico, equally suited to drinking at lunch or ageing for decades. That’s thanks to the Sangiovese, which develops every year while always staying true to its natural temperament and elegance. After selection in the vineyard and on the vibrating sorting table, the grapes are delicately destemmed, then transferred to Nomblot unlined concrete tanks where they ferment for around 15 days before macerating with a submerged cap for another five. Once drawn off, the must is divided between different containers – old tonneaus, to limit the extraction of tannins from the wood; large untoasted Grenier casks; concrete tanks – and remains in them for around 12 months, before returning, blended, to large outdoor concrete tanks. Here the wine undergoes tartaric stabilization and the final natural fining for another 3 months before being bottled.