Winemaker Notes
Certosa di Belriguardo is located in an amazing 14th-century charterhouse, just 4 miles from the city of Siena in the heart of the Chianti dei Colli Senesi area of Tuscany. The winery has always been owned by the family of Gianna Nannini, a world-famous rock singer who recently rediscovered her passion for wine. In 2006 she took over the family estate, engaging the talent of Manuel Pieri, expert winemaker and one of the pupils of Renzo Cotarella.
Today, Certosa di Belriguardo, with its 8 hectares of vineyards, produces the most iconic wines of the area, such as Chianti and a few other IGTs that truly mirror Gianna Nannini’s love for her homeland and roots. The estate cultivates mainly Sangiovese, the area’s most representative grape variety, which has always been part of the DNA of these soils. The meticulous attention and care devoted to the vines is possible thanks to the limited extension of the vineyards, which are pruned and harvested entirely by hand. The estate has abandoned the use of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides and is currently undergoing conversion to organic farming
Famous for its food-friendly, approachable red wines and their storied history, Chianti is perhaps the best-known wine region of Italy. This appellation within Tuscany has it all: sweeping views of rolling hills, endless vineyards, the warm Mediterranean sun, hearty cuisine and a rich artistic heritage. Chianti includes seven subzones: Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Rufina, Montalbano, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Colli Aretini and Montespertoli, with area beyond whose wines can be labeled simply as Chianti.
However the best quality comes from Chianti Classico, in the heart of the Chianti zone, which is no longer a subzone of the region at all but has been recognized on its own since 1996. The Classico region today is delimited by the confines of the original Chianti zone protected since the 1700s.
Chianti wines are made primarily of Sangiovese, with other varieties comprising up to 25-30% of the blend. Generally, local varieties are used, including Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo, but international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are allowed as long as they are grown within the same zone.
Basic, value-driven Chianti wine is simple and fruit-forward and makes a great companion to any casual dinner. At its apex, Chianti is full bodied but with good acidity, firm tannins, and notes of tart red fruit, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic and tobacco. Chianti Riserva, typically the top bottling of a producer, can benefit handsomely from a decade or two of cellaring.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.