Riecine Chianti Classico Riserva 2021

Riecine has championed Sangiovese in Gaiole in Chianti for decades, and this Riserva is its classic expression, a pure varietal wine from the high hills of Chianti Classico. The galestro and alberese soils, schist and limestone, are poor and free-draining, lending the wine its minerality and savoury edge, while the altitude and wide day-to-night temperature swing slow ripening and lock in the firm acidity that marks true Chianti. The wine spends twenty-four months in barrel to qualify as Riserva. That extended ageing, with its measured oxygen exchange through the wood, softens and knits the tannins, rounds the texture and adds a layer of spice and leather without burying the fruit. The colour is a clear ruby, the nose shows dark cherry and blackberry with hints of leather and mineral earth, and the palate is medium to full-bodied, the fine tannins framed by bright acidity and a long, savoury finish. The estate farms organically. Serve at 16 to 18C in a large glass, decanted briefly. It is made for roast and grilled red meats.