Wine Description
The grapes are carefully selected in the vineyards and harvested in 8-kilo crates. They are destemmed, not crushed, after which they are conveyed into temperature controlled stainless steel vats for alcoholic fermentation and maceration. macerations last 12 days for the Sangiovese, and up to 20 days for the other blends.
After completing a full malolactic fermentation the wine is transferred into 100% French oak barrels. The Sangiovese barrels consist of 30% new and 70% one or two year old oak. The other blends' barrels consist of 80% new oak. Barrel maturation lasts up to 14 months and during that time the wine is regularly racked and tasted. At the conclusion of the maturation, the best lots are selected and assembled to create the final blend.
After bottling, the wine rests for at least three months before release. Depending on the vintage year, Chianti Classico reaches maturity between 2 and 4 years after harvest and the plateau lasts at least 10 years after harvest.