Le Miccine. Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico DOCG
Grapes: Sangiovese (with 5% Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera)

A beautiful and classic Chianti Classico with fine mature tannin, supple and engaging fruit, every part in perfect balance. The fruit is somehow crunchy; succulent red cherry shot through with plum and red berry, subtly floral on the nose. 2018 is undoubtably a great vintage, there is just the slightest caveat, it has thrown an unusual sediment, not the usual dusty, gritty, this is wetter - just be careful at the bottom of the bottle.

Link to Le Miccine producer page

Chianti is ancient and has evolved over the centuries to become the wine it is today. Change has been dramatic in recent years, but not at Le Miccine where the vineyards remain as they have been for generations and cellar equipment has changed little. What has changed is the technical knowledge introduced by Paola which has led to subtle changes in the way things are done.
The vineyards are worked by hand, the vines are spur trained and great attention is paid to canopy management and airflow as ripeness is not guaranteed at this altitude.
In 2016 the grapes for the Chianti Classico were picked early in the morning, following a cold night where the temperatures had dropped to 2°C. This meant that the must (unfermented juice) went through a natural cold soak for two days while the temperature picked up enough for fermentation to begin. At that point the grapes were crushed and fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks, lasting just over a week. The wine spent a little longer on the skins before being racked off and matured in a combination of large and small barrels. These unusual climatic conditions meant that the 2016 is unusually deep colour and has exaggerated aromas.
This wine was awarded the maximum three glasses from the Gambero Rosso 2019.