That’s a shot of Sangiovese in Chianti Classico, taken on Thursday of last week.
The grower I visited there (in Castellina in Chianti) said that thanks to some rainfall in July, temperatures had remained moderate there during the summer. He’s expecting an excellent harvest, he told me, with an arguably more classic arc than in other parts of Tuscany like Montalcino where growers had to deal with an uninterrupted heatwave that began in early July and lasted through mid-August.
Between the newly established Gran Selezione category for the highest quality of Chianti Classico and the growing movement of organic farmers there, I get the sense that the appellation is poised to make a new mark in the fine wine world in coming years.
I’ll looking forward to following developments there and tasting the wines…
In other news…
A restaurant client of mine asked me to do a little R&D during my time on the ground in Tuscany.
That’s the gate of the beautiful walled hilltop town of Monteriggioni, as seen from inside the village, in the photo above.
I snapped these photos while on a short visit there on Thursday on my way to Castellina.
Whenever I travel for work, I always regret not taking time to enjoy Italy’s rich cultural patrimony.
It was lovely to take a stroll through this famous and celebrated medieval settlement.
The funny thing, though, is that there were no Italians there except for the shopkeepers and restaurateurs. Everyone I countered seemed to be from one of the nordic countries of Europe.
A busy morning here at Do Bianchi editorial and so that’s all I have time for today. Stay tuned for more reports from my recent trip to Italy. Thanks for being here!
