Vallone di Cecione, Chianti Classico, 2018

Chianti’s are a dime a dozen. Have you heard people say this? With so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to get started with wines from Chianti. We’ve tasted through many Chianti wines – everything from your everyday Chianti to Chianti Classico to Chianti Classico Riserva. We’ve found good (and bad) offerings at all levels and price points.

Vallone di Cecione shares a special story. The vineyards and land just outside of Panzano in Chianti were sharecropped by several families but it was the Anichini family who put together their funds to ultimately buy the land and convert it to their own vineyard and farm, rich with agritourism opportunities.

Their Chianti Classico is a dream. Stemming from 20-year old vineyards, it undergoes a maceration time of ~22 days. The wine undergoes no fining and a very gentle filtration before bottling. Vineyards and winemaking practices follow organic and biodynamic principles. The addition of Canaiolo in this Sangiovese-dominated wine gives it a kick of freshness which makes it approachable in its youth, but this wine also has excellent aging potential. What we particularly love is that instead of using traditional French or Slavonian oak, this wine also undergoes oak aging in chestnut and Austrian oak barrels. At first we were not able to pinpoint what made this wine so unique and upon speaking with Francesco Anichini and learning this fact, we had our answer.

This wine is easy-drinking, dominated by red fruits, particularly cherry. There is also a lovely floral component, notably of violet. Time is oak adds complexity and warmth – some spice and toastiness.

© Healthiest Pour 2021