Ruby color with traces of dark purple. The nose is rich, displaying aromas of blackberry and blueberry with hints of oak and cinnamon. The wine is smooth and well-structured with ripe red fruit on the long finish.

In the hilly amphitheater of Tuscany’s Maremma region, above an ancient coastal lake called Prelius, a certified organic and biodynamic vineyard farmed by the Stianti Mascheroni family flourishes. This vineyard is the first venture outside of Chianti Classico for the Mascheroni family, leaders in Tuscany’s organic viticultural movement. The estate, purchased in 2007, is located in Castiglione della Pescaia in the Grosseto region. Only two miles from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the vineyard elevation ranges from 120-170 feet with a slope just shy of five percent. The 30 acres of vines on the estate were planted between 2001 and 2005 to Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Row orientation is northwest to southeast. The vines are planted in soil of an orange-reddish color that is sandy, loose and deep. The vines are trained using a modified Guyot system. A drip system provides irrigation from a reservoir on the estate. Federica Mascheroni Stianti manages the estate with vineyard manager Lorenzo Regoli, first resident winemaker at Castello di Volpaia. Riccardo Cotarella is the consulting winemaker.

Technical notes

Following fermentation in stainless steel the wine matured for nine months in new French oak casks.

Producer

Castello di Volpaia overlooks the village of Radda in Chianti. The town was built in the 11th century as a fortified village on the border of Florence and Sienna. Although only part of the original protective walls and two of its six towers are still standing, the medieval layout and buildings within the village are still intact, making Volpaia one of the best preserved villages of its period. Just as it has been for the last 900 years, the entire village is intimately involved in the production of wine and olive oil. The cellars, bottling plant, barrels and olive press are nestled within the original stone walls that have been carefully restored by owners Carlo Mascheroni and Giovanella Stianti Mascheroni and their children, Nicolo and Federica. The nearly 114 acres of vineyards owned by Castello di Volpaia are at 1,300 to 2,130 feet above sea level, making Volpaia the highest winery in the Chianti region. The earth is comprised mainly of light soils consisting largely of sandstone, a sedimentary rock from the Pliocene era. Volpaia is certified organic in all of its estate vineyards with the exception of Borgianni which is made with grapes from select growers.