Made from Sangiovese and Canaiolo Toscano grapes with a medium period of maceration, the Chianti dei Colli Senesi has a rustic, uncompromising Sangiovese character. Lovely meaty style of wine with flavours of spicy ripe cherries, roasted herbs, leather and liquorice. Try this with ribollita, a bread-thickened bean and black cabbage soup or pot roast pigeon cooked with sage and spiced luganega sausage with stir-fried fennel or braised celery.
CANTINE VITTORIO INNOCENTI, Montefollonico
The estate lies between Montepulciano and Montefollonico and consists of about 32 hectares of which 12 are specialised vineyards, situated between 330 and 350 metres above sea level on medium-textured clay soils of Pliocene origin. The cellar buildings, dating back to end of the 13th century, are in the small, well-preserved medieval town of Montefollonico.
The oldest document referring to the wine of Montepulciano dates back to 789: the cleric Arnipert offered the church of San Silvestro or San Salvatore in Lanciniano, on Mt. Amiata, a portion of land with vineyards on it inside the castle of Policiano.
The owner, Vittorio Innocenti, who gave up teaching philosophy many years ago to dedicate all his time to the estate and the cellars, is helped by his wife Maria Rosa, theatre historian, his son Tommaso, who is currently finishing a course of study enabling him to take over the management of the estate, and his brother Mario, responsible for the care of the vineyards.