Chianti Superiore San Lorenzo
Chianti DOCG San Lorenzo, made mainly from Sangiovese Grosso, is a vibrant and juicy example of Tuscan wines.
On the hills overlooking Val d’Elsa, Podere San Lorenzo is located on the historical border between Chianti and Chianti Classico. There are records of Podere San Lorenzo dating as early as the 1300s, when it was the site of a suffragan church under the more important church of Sant’Agnese.
The soils are composed of yellow-ochre sands of Pliocene origin. Commonly called ‘tufo senese’ (Sienese tuff) in the area, this soil is rich in marine fossils. This gives a minerality and a specific character to the wines. The vineyards, at 250-350m, enjoy optimal exposure and constant north-west ventilation, which guarantees excellent levels of grape health.
Sangiovese Grosso is a natural mutation of the more common Sangiovese grape, its name, “Grosso,” refers to the larger size of its berries than standard Sangiovese. Considered to be superior to the other Sangiovese grapes, and late to ripen, it is used for traditionally powerful, long lived and slow maturing wines, the most important of all is Brunello di Montalcino.
Well-ripened grapes are harvested between late September and early October. After 3-4 weeks of cold pre-fermentation, the bunches are traditionally fermented with maceration on the skins. Judicious pumping-over is performed during this phase of temperature controlled fermentation (25°C) to preserve the fruity character of the grapes. After racking, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in 20 and 40 hl barrels.
Podere San Lorenzo contains a majestic cypress grove of over 250ha, which is now a Nature Reserve. Specific conditions allowed cypress to naturalise in the area; one of the few examples in Mediterranean countries and one of only three cypress groves from seed existing in Italy.
Ruby red colour with purple nuances, tending to garnet with ageing. On the nose marked berry, plum and cherry aromas join forces with floral hints of Parma violet and a light spiciness. The palate is rich, rounded and full flavoured, with well-integrated tannins and attractive, lingering notes of more berries and almond.
Recommended cellaring: 3 years.
Food pairing: Pasta dishes with meat sauces (Italian classics like Bolognese), cured meats, roast poultry and lamb plus aged cheese such as pecorino.
About the Producer
Poderi Melini
Dating from its foundation in 1705 Melini has a long tradition; deeply rooted in Tuscan culture, focused on promotion of Chianti.
Today Melini own 556ha in the Chianti and Chianti Classico district. Within their estate, farms with famous names such as Granaio, San Lorenzo, Bonorli, Coltri and Poggio a’ Rosi can be found.
In 1705, about three decades before the end of Medici rule and 11 years before Grand Duke Cosimo III’s 1716 notice defining the boundaries of the Chianti production area, the Florentine Melini family, wealthy Val di Sieve entrepreneurs, decided to begin winegrowing – producing Vermiglio, a classic red Tuscan table wine. In order to trade, Melini strove to solve the problems of preservation and transport:
- From the outset Melini was at the forefront in the use of technology. As early as 1830 the wine was heated for a few minutes at 50 °C. In other words, it was pasteurized using an innovative stabilization process of the time, which Louis Pasteur described in his Etudes sur les vins of 1866
- In 1860 Adolfo Laborel Melini adopted for their bottles the “fiasco strapeso” – the ubiquitous straw flask. Soon joined by the neighbouring house of Ruffino, this allowed Chianti wine to reach Italian and foreign markets more safely and easily.
Melini’s Gaggiano winery is based in the Chianti Classico hills, at 300m. Next to the original ancient block, a modern four-floor cellar was built on the hillside between 1970 and 1974. It was designed to put in place separate production for each vineyard, an apply the cru technique. All winemaking processes, from the drying rooms to barrel ageing and bottling, are undertaken using specific techniques that pursue the quality philosophy.
Winemaker Alessandro Zanette was born in 1983 in Sacile (Pordenone), graduating with top marks in Oenology from the University of Padua in 2006. He arrived at the Gaggiano winery in 2007.
