Riecine di Riecine 2021

Riecine farms in the high hills of Gaiole in Chianti, and Riecine di Riecine is its most personal wine, a pure Sangiovese drawn from the original old vineyards first planted by founder John Dunkley. The galestro and alberese soils here, friable schist and limestone, drain hard and reflect in the wine's chalky minerality, while altitude and cool nights stretch the growing season and preserve the bright acidity that defines Sangiovese. The wine is raised in cement eggs rather than oak. The inert concrete allows a gentle exchange of oxygen and keeps the wine in slow, constant motion on its fine lees, which adds texture and a rounder mouthfeel while leaving the fruit and the site untouched by wood. The colour is a translucent ruby, the nose red cherry and dried herbs with a dusty, mineral note, and the palate is medium-bodied with fine, savoury tannins and a long, stony finish. Organic farming underpins it. Serve at 16 to 18C in a wide glass. It is a classic match for bistecca, roast meats and Tuscan bean dishes.