Castello di Volpaia - Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2018 (375ml)
Price: $84.99
| Producer | Castello di Volpaia |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Varietal | Trebbiano, Malvasia Bianca |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | 202893 |
| Size | 375ml |
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Castello di Volpaia Description
Family-owned since 1967, located on a hilltop north of the town of Radda, 2,024 feet above sea level, highest vineyards in the Chianti Classico region.
Since the Middle Ages, Vin Santo (“holy wine”) has been an important part of Tuscan wine history. There are many theories about the origin of its name. A legend from Siena tells of a friar who in 1348 cured the sick with the wine normally used by the brothers to celebrate mass. Word spread that this was a miraculous wine, leading to the name “santo” – although another less picturesque explanation cannot be ruled out, which is simply the association of this wine with its customary use during the mass. The recognition of the DOC Vin Santo del Chianti in August 1997 marked an important stage in the quality evaluation of this highly traditional Tuscan wine.
Vin Santo is still produced using the same labor-intensive process that was used hundreds of years ago. Towards the end of the growing season, before Volpaia harvested its white grapes, the winery picked the best bunches of Trebbiano and Malvasia to go into the Vin Santo. The grapes were taken to the winery’s "Vinsantaia", a special attic where the bunches were hung from chains tied to the rafters and dried. The grapes are never touched during the maturation process. The windows were kept open in the Vinsantaia for the next few months, ensuring that the air in the large room was constantly being circulated. In February, once the grapes’ sugar levels were high enough, they were pressed and the juice put through a natural process of clarification. The highly-concentrated must was then fermented in small caratelli oak barrels already containing madre (“mother”) – a remnant of the thick residue left over from Vin Santo that had already been bottled for five years.
Tasting Note: Scintillating amber. It is a full, balanced wine with intense flavors of cane sugar, apricot jam and sultan grapes. Warm and luscious with an almond finish.
