Outstanding Chianti Classico Riserva from the cooler north west of Chianti. Grown on soils very similar to Felsina's vineyards in Berardenga, this cooler terroir in Argiano helps produce a wine of great energy, elegance and inherent harmony. La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano is the personal project of Giampaolo Chiettini. Giampaolo spent a good number of years working alongside Paolo di Marchi at Isole e Olena where he fell deeply in love with Sangiovese and honed his skills and became a very highly regarded winemaker of the region. Antinori and Ca' del Bosco have also used Giampaolo's services over the years. He still consults and makes wine for the outstanding Castagnoli and brilliant newcomers Ejamu amongst others.
This personal project comes from a beautiful, tiny (1ha!) vineyard in Argiano in the San Casciano Val di Pesa commune. Organic Sangiovese grapes are destemmed and gently crushed then undergo wild fermentation with natural yeasts. The wine is bred in used tonneaux. Giampaolo's trained, light hand in the cellar has helped produce a really rather wonderful Chianti Classico Riserva. This 2020 knocked us out. Immense energy and focus to the wonderful fruit and character. Only 2,000 bottles produced. This wine proves utterly marvellous drinking now, but shall age gracefully and beautifully for many years. We can't wait to follow the evolution!
This Chianti Classico Riserva 2020 was one of only four wines to scoop the top score of 17.5/20 from Walter Speller on jancisrobinson.com in the "Chianti Classico Riserva 2020" section of his full report on the 2019 and 2020 vintages published earlier in 2023. Our Senior Buyer, Stewart Travers, had met and tasted with Giampaolo the month before the reports were published and similarly benchmarked the wine and then realised we were on to something very exciting indeed. Make sure you get on the allocation list early! And also make sure you grab a bottle of his immense Vin Santo 2017, here in tiny quantities!
