Winemaker Notes
Since it was founded in 1992, Palladio wines have received numerous accolades as Best Buys from food and wine journalists. With its stylish packaging, extreme versatility and value-oriented pricing, Palladio allows the American wine drinker to enjoy the best quality wines from Italy every day. World-renowned oenologist Alberto Antonini’s involvement and direction serves as a guarantee that this wine is produced to be the true expression of this historical appellation. Grapes that produce Palladio wines are grown in the Montalbano district near the historical cities of Florence and Siena. Vineyards thrive in this area. The soil is composed mostly of clay schists, commonly called galestri, which are rich in structure and poor in organic substances. The local climate, usually a mild winter, rainy spring, hot summer and temperate autumn, is perfect for the maturation of grapes. Even in winter, rainy periods usually alternate with crisp, sunny days. Snowfall is rare and when it does occur, it melts quickly. At Palladio, quality winemaking begins in the vineyard where management is constant and procedures such as vine-trimming, green pruning and leaf removal all ensure superior grape quality. The winery is equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment, including horizontal, air-pumped presses, vacuum filtration and temperature-controlled fermentation, although the greatest emphasis is placed on the selection of quality fruit at harvest.
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.