Energetic Poggiotondo Chianti Riserva

Energetic might sound strange, but once you Poggiotondo you have tasted Chianti Riserva…. We think then you know immediately what we mean. Energy is a metaphor here to describe a combination of qualities. Freshness, drinkability, more flavor, and fine texture. A wine with vibrant fruit flavors, but above all, the ability to breathe new life into your palate. Winemaker Antonini himself often attributes this quality not only to the health of the vineyards but also to the use of concrete fermentation tanks. He has completely changed his use of oak in recent years. He now tends to entirely avoid the use of small, flavor-imparting barrels for all his top wines. Here, they are used exclusively for aging.

The wine has to rely on that of pure, fresh dark fruit. Deliciously juicy with tangy, sweet dark cherry and wild hedge fruit, but at the same time a little savory at the finish. Beautifully balanced and harmonious. Both smooth and tangy, and so fresh on the finish. The Poggiotondo Chianti Riserva is fully drinkable and irresistible until the very end of the bottle. Not only that, but it also offers excellent value for money. Great to drink now and will develop well over the coming years. Delicious with pastas with tomato-based sauces.

Organic

The fruit for this wine comes from their own certified organic vineyards (certified in 2014) in Cerreto Guidi, about 30 km (20 miles) west of Florence, grown on soils of maritime origin rich in limestone fossils (seashells), ‘which have a strong influence on the taste of the wine’, according to winemaker Antonini. The blend of the Poggiotondo Chianti Riserva is primarily Sangiovese and a small proportion  Colorino and Canaiolo.

Although Antonini works as a consultant in many of the world's wine regions, he is Tuscan by birth and Poggiotondo is his family estate, so here he can do what he wants. A few years ago, it was decided to return to traditional viticultural management; we stopped using synthetic chemicals (herbicides, chemical fertilizers, systemic sprays, etc.) and relied only on indigenous products. We are experiencing healthier vines, better fruit quality, character, and a very probable longevity for the vineyards themselves. Most conventionally managed soils are dead, and dead soils grow dead fruit that is responsible for dead wines. The winemaking is in accordance with the principles applied in the vineyards.

They replace stainless steel tanks with concrete tanks for fermentation, and we age the wines in large toasted oak barrels and in concrete tanks; we use no commercial products such as yeasts, nutrients, enzymes, detergents, etc. – only hot water and some sulfur. We love having a winery teeming with life, where all the microbiology coming from the vineyards can find a nice home to live and do their work.

That’s how we like to hear it! The Poggiotondo Chianti Riserva is a living example of this.