Castello di Meleto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The fruit for this wine is sourced from 2 different sites, their Casi and San Piero Vineyards.
- Located in the valley below the medieval village of Vertine at an altitude of 420 meters, Casi is surrounded by wooded land, ensuring the temperate climate of this vineyard. Original plantings began in 1998, Sangiovese, cultivated using the traditional alberello vine training method, is the main variety planted here and finds the combined conditions of hot soil and cool climate, ideal. The soils of Casi consist of clay, sandstone, and galestro.
- Planted in 2000, the San Piero vineyard borders Pieve di Spaltenna, a 10th century church owned by Castello di Meleto, and extends to the village of Gaiole in Chianti at 390 meters of altitude. The open and well-ventilated area allows the vines to remain healthy and dry and imparts on them an element of freshness. Here, the soil is rich in Alberese, Arenaria, and Galestro
Varietal Composition: 100% Sangiovese
Elaboration: Very strict operations in the vineyards and exceptional care by thinning shoots, foliage canopy management and pruning. Grapes are harvested by hand after selection in the vineyard and placed in 10kg crates. Grapes are immediately transferred to the wine cellar where they are destemmed and delicately pressed; a cold pre-maceration period follows. Fermentation occurs spontaneously in truncated conical oak tanks for 20 days where the wine remains before being racked and transferred to French oak barrels for the malolactic fermentation. The wine then ages for 24 – 30 months in barrique of second or third use is followed by at least 6 months of bottle aging.
Tasting Notes: Intense red, almost purple. The nose is powerful and rich, with spicy and balsamic notes accompanied by aromas of ripe red fruit. On the palate it is enveloping, supported by dense but well-balanced tannins that open to a long finish with extraordinary intensity.
PRESS
2012 – 92 James Suckling
2015 – 90 James Suckling | 90 Vinous | 93 Wine Advocate | 95 Wine Spectator
2016 – 93 Vinous | 94 James Suckling
2019 – 94 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Castello di Meleto produces wines exclusively from estate-owned grapes. 70% of the grapes are harvested by hand, a choice influenced by two factors: the slope of land that at points reaches extreme levels and the commitment to selecting only the best fruit. With vineyards extending over 160 hectares, only the best grapes are selected for the wines bearing the Castello di Meleto brand. The bunches destined for these flagship wines undergo a rigorous first and second selection: the first in the vineyard at the time of harvest and the second on the sorting table, where each bunch is manually checked by expert operators. Perfectly healthy grapes allow for reduced sulfur dioxide use and spontaneous fermentation, triggered by indigenous yeasts present on the grapes. This reflects Castello di Meleto’s commitment to respecting the work carried out in the vineyard and minimally intervening in the cellar.