Learn more about the Chianti Classico vinsanto that is part of the Box Florence by Radici Italiane.
We enter the beautiful Chianti landscape and it is like being catapulted into a picture frame. The vineyards present themselves as one endless expanse that fills the view of the hills. It is the particular combination of climatic conditions, hilly terrain and winemaking tradition that have made this area famous all over the world. We are in the middle of Tuscany and we are going to discover the Vinsanto of Chianti Classico, a vinsanto unlike any other.
We are in Greve in Chianti, a town devoted to wine and food tourism, where vineyards and wineries follow one after another. We take a dirt road lapped by an expanse of vineyards and here we are in front of this historic winery, Fattoria Il Viticcio.
But how was the vinsanto born?
Here, between one row of vines and another, winemaker Daniele explains that the name vinsanto comes from the fact that the grapes, after drying, were pressed during Holy Week. The resulting wine is sweet and is served at dessert time. It is a great classic paired with Tuscan cantuccini biscuits. An alternative version has it that it was a Sienese friar who used this wine as an antidote against the plague in the 1300s and that from that time vinsanto spread to the rest of Tuscany.
Helen is the young owner originally from Ukraine, who a few years ago decided to take over the winery. A dream she was able to realize, that of coming to live in Chianti, where “opening the window you see a postcard,” as she says.
We first access the “vinsantaia”, an attic room with barrels boasting nearly a century of history. We descend to the “bottaia”, or cellar where barrels of great value are on display. while winemaker Daniele confesses to us how much attention is needed towards the vines and the extreme care required for the entire production process.
This vinsanto with a balanced and persistent taste is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, selected with great care before the harvest. Aging is done strictly in oak barrels and lasts a total of seven years. Once ready, the vinsanto comes in a beautiful bottle with a label signed “Occhio di pernice,” because of its amber color. A guarantee of quality, in addition to that of the Chianti Classico DOCG.
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