and more:
• Fattoria di Fiano
• Understanding Chianti & Chianti Classico
• Thanksgiving Wines

A Note from Sergio

Traces of vine DNA found close to today’s Chianti Classico zone suggest the existence of wild vines in central Italy before the arrival of man. The Etruscans, who discovered and cultivated these vines, as early as the ninth century BC, provided the first effort in creating Italy’s most famous wine region. And Sangiovese is one of the grapes that they cultivated from this land.

With as much as 11,000 years of winemaking history this land has had its share of bumps and bruises trying to find it’s identity. The Romans, basking in the spas of Toscana, cherished the wines for their gentile often elegant qualities. Much later, as Italy was developing as a nation, the great Barone Ricasoli, author of the first official "recipe" for Chianti in the late 19th century, saw it as two incarnations; a light, young wine blended with a good amount of white grapes and a serious, more prestigious wine of mostly red grapes; intended to be laid down. Then, at the turn of the last century, cash strapped Tuscans, set off to merchandise their wine to the world. In doing so they created the straw flask bottle which protected the glass during shipping and filled it with the cheapest juice that the world would buy. And so the image of Chianti as a wine of quality hit an all time low.

The 1970’s brought a rival of the wine as many aristocrats left their palazzos in Florence and established permanent residence in their country estates. These well traveled entrepreneurs sought to revive Chianti as a wine of quality. The last thirty years has seen changes in wine regulation, appellation and style. Today, one would have to have the nose of Cicero to decipher were most Chiantis are from. Some might even guess California, France or Campania due to a lake of typicity. But for the cognoscenti real Sangiovese, Chianti of quality, will do something quite magical; one whiff will transport you to the heart of Tuscany. And that, my friends, is the real value and future of this magestic wine.

In this offer I’ve highlighted three producers of quality. I begin with Querciabella, one of Chianti’s most successful estates, Castello di Cacchiano, a traditional producing estate, and Fattoria Fiano who produces fine wines in the Florentine hills outside of the Classico area. Read on below to learn more about Chianti and its eight subzones.

Lastly, I am providing a three tier approach to delivering a wine that will impress this Thanksgiving. Should you have any questions on these wines or would like to purchase them, please contact our Portfolio Managers at 212.473.2323. Should you wish to purchase gifts from our holiday catalog, please click here to download the gift catalog!

My best,
Sergio Esposito

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Querciabella

Giuseppe Castiglioni was born in Milan but spent much of his adult life in Mexico as a successful owner of a big steel business. When he was ready to settle down, he returned to his homeland and stumbled upon an enchanting piece of land in the heart of Chianti’s wine country. Here he restored an old house, planted a few vines as a hobby and made wine for personal consumption.

... But the potential of the land was too great a temptation. Castiglioni became engrossed by his wine and in 1987 hired enologist Guido de Santi. The family later acquired vineyards in the Maremma for planting international varieties like Cabernet and Merlot. De Santi is still the creative hub of this ultramodern estate today, but Giuseppe now shares his responsibilities with his son Sebastiano. After remodeling the winery for modern style production that would allow perfect balance and consistency, de Santi also brought in consultant and close friend Giacomo Tachis, whose magic touch has graced the most elite Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia, Sammarco, Argiano). Querciabella's careful selection in the vineyard and temperature controlled fermentation precedes lengthy maceration in stainless steel vats to produce greater fruit extraction - an important technique in developing a modern character.

Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva
Since its debut, Querciabella Chianti has become the model for modern Chianti Classico. The blend for these Chiantis is slightly adjusted each year. For example the 2001 is 90% Sangiovese; 10% Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon but the 2003 is 80% Sangiovese; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Merlot.

Chianti Classico Normale:
Up to 14 months in oak and another 3 in bottle before release. Seductively fragrant nose and gloriously rich palate. Black cherries, dried herbs, supple leather, and smoked game. The combination of fruit concentration, lively acidity, soft tannins, and superb extract make this the best Tuscan value in our cellar.

Chianti Classico Riserva:
Aged one year before blending, then for another year in oak and 6 months in bottle. This quintessential Chianti Classico Riserva brings you right to the heart of Toscana with every sip. Another nose full of enticing aromas: plums, wildflowers, wild mushrooms, and damp earth. A sturdy structure balances the modern style fruit of this medium-weight wine. Excellent persistence on the finish.

Querciabella 2001 Chianti Classico $24.77
Querciabella 2000 Chianti Classico $231.00 (5L)
Querciabella 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva $39.80
Querciabella 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva $21.56 (375ml)
Querciabella 1998 Chianti Classico Riserva $39.95
Querciabella 1998 Chianti Classico Riserva $187.00 (3L)

Camartina
A blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and Syrah that has varied slightly each year since its birth in 1981. The Camartina is made only in vintages that will do it justice and was not produced in 1989, 1992, or 1998. Ruby red with beckoning purple highlights. Jammy cassis and black cherry pair with creme caramel. The concentrated fruit and high alcohol make this an intense, warm wine. Layers of complexity unfold from start to very long finish. This is one of Chianti Classico's oldest and most highly regarded Super Tuscans.

Querciabella 2000 Camartina $75.00
Querciabella 1999 Camartina $73.67
Querciabella 1997 Camartina $89.83

Batar
65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Blanc. Hands down, Toscana's best white produced to date! First made in 1988. Floral and herbacious despite a fair amount of new oak. Sweet cream, spiced pears, and stone submerge the palate. Thick in texture and rich in glycerine, the wine bears enough acidity to stay very lively on the palate. You'll go back for glass after glass....

Querciabella 2001 Batar $48.00
Querciabella 1998 Batar $48.00

Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Orlando
Trebbiano and Malvasia. The exceptional vintage of 1990 inspired the winemaker to create a Vin Santo for the first time ever, using the most revered traditional methods. Only the best grapes are gathered and left to dry on straw mats. Aged for a full ten years before bottling, this is the only Vin Santo ever made by Querciabella since they uprooted their Trebbiano and Malvasia vines in 1991. IWM is probably the only merchant in the country where you will find this rare sweet wine – in fact, the estate tells us we may be the only store in the world that still offers it! Named after Sebastiano’s son, this is a brillant and rare vin santo with a richness and complexity matched by few others. Orange-gold color. Sugared apricots dominate the nose, and notes of orange zest join in on the palate. A beautifully balanced, sustained finish.

Querciabella 1990 Orlando $89.00 (375ml)

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Castello di Cacchiano

Castello di Cacchiano has been in the Ricasoli-Firidolfi family since the 11th century, and many generations have produced such wines as Chianti Classico, Prosecco, and Vernaccia. High standards of production for their Chianti (what is now called Chianti Classico) were established by the Barone Bettino Ricasoli 150 years ago, and their first bottlings came in 1974 under the widowed Baronessa Elisabetta Balbi Valier. The widow retired in the mid-90s and passed this part of her business to her son Giovanni (his younger brother, Marco, now runs Rocca di Montegrossi). With 31 hectares of vineyards sitting at 400 meters in the Monti commune, the current baron has turned his attention to Chianti Classico, doing away with the Super Tuscan "RF" formerly produced at Cacchiano. He makes only one bottling each vintage, and exceptional vintages are called ‘Millennio,’ virtually a riserva but not officially labeled as such. Giovanni finds Merlot to be an excellent complement to the traditional Tuscan grapes and aims for 85% Sangiovese with 15% Merlot, a blend that he adjusts based on vintage conditions. He also keeps up production of Rosso Toscano, an everyday wine that is produced every year, and the traditional Vin Santo.

Chianti Classico Riserva
More traditional and classier than the lush Querciabella and the ripe Fattoria di Fiano Chiantis. Full aromas of dark fruit. Charred spices and underbrush on the palate, with plenty of muscle. Bold tannins and a powerful finish.

Castello di Cacchiano 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva $25.50

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Fattoria di Fiano

The peak that overlooks Valdelsa on one hand and Valdipesa on the other was once the dominion of the noble Florentine Alfani family. The lands, named for the original owners and later shortened from ‘Alfiano’ to ‘Fiano,’ still retain the rustic charm of a medieval village, with farmhouses, stables, an oil mill, and the old chapel eliciting bygone eras. Bought by the Bing family in 1940, the estate produces some of the best Chianti coming from the Florentine hills as well as the Super Tuscan Fianesco, the dessert wine Vin Santo, Grappa, and olive oil. The cellars command over 65 hectares in the Poggio ai Monti vineyard, where the soil is clay and pebbles, while 14 hectares are found about a kilometer to the northeast in Novoli, where three types of soil are intertwined: tufa, clay, and a sand/pebble mixture. Exacting use of numerous clones gleans the best of each varietal. Fattoria di Fiano remains a family business today, with Ugo Bing at the forefront aided by consultant Federico Staderini.

Though less well known than Chianti Classico, Chianti Colli Fiorentini offers many wines that deserve the same respect. The Colli Fiorentini is one of eight subzones within the Chianti DOCG; though it provides less than 5% of all Chianti produced, this area imposes stringent regulations on its winemakers and is one of the most important in terms of quality. The Colli Fiorentini, or Hills of Florence, occupy the north-central part of the zone, surrounding the northern half of Chianti Classico and with another arm projecting southward on its east side.

Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
80% Sangiovese, with Canaiolo, Colorini del Valdarno, Merlot. Ugo Bing brings out the terroir of the Colli Fiorentini in every bottling. Fruit from both vineyard locations. Time in second- or third-use barriques and Slavonian oak botti offers an ornamental, unintrusive presence of oak. An enticing nose introduces this elegant, distinguished wine.

Fattoria di Fiano 2002 Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva $24.68
Fattoria di Fiano 2001 Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva $28.49
Fattoria di Fiano 1999 Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva $28.49

Fianesco
Sangiovese, Colorino del Valdarno, Merlot, Canaiolo, Syrah, Cabernet. Grown in both Novoli and the Valdelsa, the best, most perfectly ripe grapes are used for the Fianesco. Aging takes place in new French oak barriques. Complex scents of cherry and spice. A cornucopia of fruit and vegetables is revealed on the voluptuous palate, which reflects the unique terroir of the Florentine hills. The harmony of this dense wine embraces bold tannins and lingers on a long finish.

Fattoria di Fiano 1999 Fianesco $43.49
Fattoria di Fiano 2000 Fianesco $43.49
Fattoria di Fiano 2001 Fianesco $43.49

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Understanding Chianti & Chianti Classico

The classic wine of Italy, and especially of Toscana, is undoubtedly Chianti. This wine was referenced as early as the twelfth century, and the first recognizable description of it can be found in a sixteenth-century book on the libations of Toscana. The Renaissance also saw the first legal safeguard, with serious fines inflicted on impostors touting the esteemed name of Chianti. More recently, its composition has shifted from Canaiolo to Sangiovese, and the vineyards here have passed from the landed gentry, who saw winemaking as an ancillary use of their estates, to enophiles dedicated to finding the greatest expression of the land.

The Chiantis of yore actually derive from the area now known as Chianti Classico, which profited from its central location in the Grand Duchy of Toscana; today, Chianti cannot simply be defined as one wine or one style. Within the modern Chianti appellation there are eight distinct sub-regions that can be classified into two groupings: Chianti Classico DOCG and Chianti DOCG. The latter is made up of Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli, and Rufina. The last of these was known historically as Pomino (a name that lives on as an independent DOC located entirely within Chianti Rufina) and was prized as one of Toscana's great wine zones; Montalbano is now shedding its reputation for light, frivolous wines in favor of more substantial undertakings; and the vast Colli Senesi zone, which abuts Montalcino, San Gimignano, and Montepulciano, is renowned for its full-bodied wines. Chianti Classico, which is nestled between Siena and Florence, is home to Greve, Radda, Gaiole, and Castellina as well as parts of several other zones. This historic area supplies well under 40% of all Chianti produced but is relatively reliable within this dauntingly inconsistent sea of wine.

The formula of Chianti is always dominated by Sangiovese but can contain 15% of other varietals, such as the white grapes Trebbiano and/or Malvasia to create a lighter, more approachable wine, or Canaiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Combine the individuality of each sub-region's terroir with the varying grape ingredients and mutations, producer style, vintage variation, normale/annata (aged a minimum of one year) or riserva (aged a minimum of two years), and cru or cuvee, and there is an enormous array that makes generalizations difficult.

To help you understand and experience the flexibility of Sangiovese, I have selected a handful of producers from various sub-regions (see below) to provide a qualitative tour through the land of Chianti. In this hilly countryside, much of the rich heritage is preserved in perfect harmony with the surrounding vineyards. Many of the historic estates continue to function today just as they have for hundreds of years: seven centuries before Opus One became Napa's trophy, the Frescobaldi Castle was built and the family helped to establish the backbone of Toscana's viticulture. Medieval hamlets like that of Castell'in Villa date back to the 1200s and remain among Chianti's top quality estates. In addition, you can sample the classic reliability of Felsina, the extraordinary single-vineyard Vigna del Sorbo from Fontodi, and the ripeness and weight of the 1997, 1999, and 2000 vintages in comparison to the more structured 1998 and 2001.

Chianti Classico:
Castell'in Villa 1998 Chianti Classico $30.83
Felsina 2001 Chianti Classico $21.66
Querciabella 2001 Chianti Classico $24.77
Casaloste 1997 Chianti Classico $27.20
Il Molino di Grace 2000 Chianti Classico $24.75
La Sala 2002 Chianti Classico $22.00
Fontodi 2002 Chianti Classico $21.50
San Leonino 1999 Chianti Classico 'Monsenese' $64.00 (1.5L)

Chianti Classico Riserva:
Castell'in Villa 1997 Chianti Classico Riserva $57.89
Castell'in Villa 1971 Chianti Classico Riserva $89.25
Collelungo 1998 Chianti Classico Riserva $45.00
Felsina 2000 Chianti Classico Riserva $25.24
Querciabella 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva $39.80
Fattoria Vignavecchia 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva $30.53
Castello di Cacchiano 2001 Chianti Classico Riserva $25.50
Querciabella 1998 Chianti Classico Riserva $39.95

Single Vineyard Chianti:
Castell'in Villa 1998 Chianti Cl. Ris. Poggio delle Rose $70.80
Fontodi 2000 Chianti Vigna del Sorbo $49.00

Chianti & Chianti Riserva:
Nipozzano (Frescobaldi) 2000 Chianti Ris $22.00 (Rufina)
Cesani 2002 Ireos Chianti $18.70 (Colli Senesi)
Fattoria di Fiano 2002 Chianti Ris. $24.68 (Colli Fiorentini)
Fattoria di Fiano 1999 Chianti Ris. $28.49 (Colli Fiorentini)
Fattoria di Fiano 2001 Chianti Ris. $28.49 (Colli Fiorentini)

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Thanksgiving Wines

Why don’t I make food and wine pairings in our e-Letter? Because it would be a disservice to you. Each individual has their own take on a dish. With that, a special ingredient or side dish can steal a wine of its true character. Often, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are the perfect scapegoats for the Thanksgiving “safe wine list.” With family and friends, I tend to bring wines that promote dinner conversation – from fun aperitif whites to classic comfort wines to sweet wines and thinking wines. Of course the number of guests will influence the final wine choice, but I have listed some Italian classics for this time of year. Click on the producer name to learn more about each wine.

Dinner Wines – Great Hostess Gifts
Whites:
Movia 2003 Sauvignon Blanc $25.25
Bruna Riviera 2004 Pigato Le Russeghine $24.93

Reds:
Querciabella 2001 Chianti Classico $24.95
Forteto della Luja 2001 Le Grive $28.95
Il Macchione 2000 Vino di Nobile Montepulciano $34.00
Poggio di Sotto 2001 Rosso di Montalcino $41.25
A.& G. N. Fantino 1995 Barolo Vigna dei Dardi $51.00
Grattamacco 1998 Rosso $59.00

Festive Magnums (and other large format bottles)
Whites:
Bastianich 2001 Vespa Bianco $62.70 (1.5L)
Vie di Romans 2001 Sauvignon Vieris $68.00 (1.5L)
Gaja 1998 Chardonnay Gaia & Rey $260.00 (1.5L)

Reds:
Bastianich 2000 Calabrone $118.80 (1.5L)
Tenuta dell’Ornellaia 2001 Le Volte $105.00 (3.0 L)
Montevertine 2001 Le Pergole Torte $160.00 (1.5L)
Mascarello 1986 Barolo $690.00 (1.5L) – for the connoisseur

After-Dinner Wines
Cantina Valpantena 2001 Amarone $34.68
La Sala 1998 Vin Santo $39.60 (500ml)
Antonio Ferrari 1959 Solaria Jonica $139.95 (500ml)
Quintarelli 1995 Recioto della Valpolicella $149.00 (375ml)
Querciabella 1990 Orlando $89.00

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