Winery of the Month – OCT 2016
Volpaia
How many of you have traveled through Tuscany and seen the old walled cities? Today we are going to discuss one of these; Castello di Volpaia. The first written record of wine from Volpaia dates back to 1172. In 1250, Volpaia was one of the founding members of the “Lega del Chianti.” The Lega was formed as much for defense as anything else as they were mainly frontline garrison towns in the Florentine-Sienese war.
The most famous landmark in Castello di Volpaia, the church.
The castle dates back to medieval times in 1172.
The winery’s logo is the Coat of Arms for the Volpaia family. Lorenzo della Volpaia founded a scientific instrument and clock making dynasty in Florence in the late 1400’s. Many of his instruments and inventions are on display in museums around the world. As of this writing, much of the perimeter wall and a few of the towers are still standing.
In the 1960’s, the vineyard and winery ownership was fractured. Raffaello Stianti began to purchase pieces of the Volpaia estate in 1966 and continued to buy anything that became available. He gave it as a wedding gift when his daughter Giovannelli married Carlo Mascheroni. The couple immediately began to modernize the winery without changing the historic town at all. They put winemaking facilities where ever they would fit, offices in some of the houses, storage and bottling lines in the cellars and all of this is connected by what is called the “wineduct.” The wineduct is a series of stainless steel pipes laid underneath the streets to carry the wine to different winemaking facilities in the town. Each stone was taken out of the streets and individually numbered so it could be placed back in the exact location that it was in before. The vineyards are all completely organically farmed and are certified Organic.
Federica Mascheroni Stianti, who is the daughter of the founder, will be joining us for a wine dinner on the 25th of October, for more details give us a call at the restaurant or drop us an email nscott@theitalianmarket.com
Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico
Volpaia has some of the highest vineyards in the area and as a result the wines are fresh and vibrant. Lots of fresh red fruit come to the forefront with cherry playing the main role. In the background you will find some cedar and spice with soft tannins. Regularly $24.99 Sale $18.99
Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Reserva
The reserva is a great example of Sangiovese. Lots of red fruit and floral aromas on the nose. In the glass, the fruit continues with some cedar and baking spice. The tannins are soft and add a velvety feel to the wine. Regularly $36.99 Sale $27.99
Castello di Volpaia Toscana Balifico
Dense and chewy with plenty of red fruit flavors. There is a decent amount of vanilla and baking spice from the oak to balance the fruit. The hefty tannins and acidity add some complexity to this intriguing blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet. Regularly $33.99 Sale $25.99
Castello di Volpaia Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
This is the famous desert wine of the area. The grapes are picked and then left to dry. This concentrates the sugars in the remaining juice. The grapes are pressed and the resulting wines are aged in small barrels. The barrels are not topped allowing for a small amount of oxidation producing their typical nutty flavors, try one with a biscotti. Regulalry $57.99 Sale $42.99