Wine: A constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy."
Benjamin Franklin
Situated in the medieval hamlet of Castagnoli, the Cantalici Winery is fully immersed in the tranquillity of the picturesque Tuscan countryside. This is a territory where wine-making is a vocation and striving to achieve perfection the ultimate goal of its vintners.
The estate owns 60 acres of land, out of which 20 are planted with vineyards. It rents another 20 acres of selected vineyards from the surrounding small land-owners. The property also includes an olive grove where high-quality extravirgin olive oil is produced from hand-picked olives.
The vineyards, most of which face south or south-east in order to fully bask in the gentle Tuscan sun, are situated at 300 to 450 meters above sea level. Soils are rich in clay, gravel and pebbles. The trellis system used in the vineyards is either spurred cordon or simple Guyot.
The most important grape is the Sangiovese, which is being cultivated on over 38 acres, along with Cabernet Sauvignon e Merlot. Small quantities of local grapes such as Malvasia, Trebbiano Toscano, Canaiolo and Foglia tonda are also grown, as these lesser-known varieties fully develop their surprising potential in the type of soils found on the estate.
"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."
Ernest Hemingway
The first wine produced by the Cantalici Winery was a Chianti Classico 2003, made of a blend of Sangiovese grapes and small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages have since followed, along with the introduction of a 100% Sangiovese wine called "Messer Ridolfo".
The grapes are picked exclusively by hand and carefully placed in 40-pound crates. to await pressing. Harvesting starts end of September (Merlot) and continues until end of October for Sangiovese and Cabernet.
The Cantalici brothers have been constantly experimenting with new blends and techniques during their first years as winemakers, aiming at a maximum in aroma and taste which they want their wines to achieve. The search for perfection and uniqueness has lead them to adopt a particular procedure that precedes the actual vinification process.
Once they have been harvested, the grapes are being stored for one week in specially designed refrigerated units, where the temperature gradually reaches the freezing point.
Due to the increase in liquid volume, the skins gently tear apart, resulting in enhanced flavour and increased polyphenol content when the maceration process sets in.
The next step sees an attentive selection by hand of the still deep-freezed grapes, during which over 20% of the grapes are being discarded.
A soft "de-stalking" procedure combined with low temperature ensures that the grapes start the fermentation process without being entirely crushed. The gently pressed pulps and skins go through a further cold maceration for approximately one week in large stainless steel tanks before the actual fermentation.
Selected yeasts kick in the fermentation, converting the grapes' natural sugar into alcohol. The temperature is constantly monitored (max. 28°C), while residual sludge and stalks are meticulously removed by hand. This fermentation process may last from 15 days for Sangiovese grapes to 20 days for Merlot and Merlot up to 30 days for Cabernet.
At this point a second, "malolactic" fermentation occurs, which transforms malic acid (as in apples) into lactic acid (as in milk). The malolactic fermentation continues in new French oak barrels for Merlot and Cabernet grapes, while the Sangiovese grapes are left to ferment in steel vats.
At the end of this fermentation process the different blends are left to age in French oak barrels for a further 12 months. The Cantalici Winery mixes new and used barriques, which impart more or less of the wood's character to the wine. Approximately 30% of the production is being aged in stainless steel vats. The aging process continues in the bottle for a further 6 months.
The final result are wines of the highest quality, made according to strict vinification and aging specifications, which have established the Chianti Classico DOCG label as one of the most famous denominations in the world.