Castello di Albola
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Solatio 2020
| Denomination | DOCG Chianti Classico Gran Selezione |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 13.5% by volume |
| Area | Tuscany (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Sangiovese |
| Aging | Once maceration and malolactic fermentation are complete, the wine is matured in Allier oak barriques for 14 months. This is followed by a long bottle ageing period of about a year and a half. |
- Name: Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione 2020, awarded 3 Glasses by Gambero Rosso
- Organic Sangiovese: 100% Sangiovese from Radda in Chianti, hand-harvested in October
- Il Solatio Vineyard: 1 hectare at 550-600 m, alberese soil, south-east facing
- Vinification and ageing: 3-4 weeks in steel, then oak and 18 months in bottle
- Profile and serving: notes of cherry, tobacco and spices, fine tannins, decant for 1 hour at 16–18 °C
Description
What kind of wine is it
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Solatio is an organic red wine from Castello di Albola, a pure expression of the Sangiovese grape variety. In the glass, it displays a deep ruby red colour with garnet highlights. On the nose, it offers notes of cherry jam, red fruits, tobacco, and spicy hints of cinnamon, pepper, and liquorice. On the palate, it is elegant and savoury, supported by a well-balanced acidity and a very fine tannic structure, leading to a long and persistent finish. Decanted for an hour at sixteen to eighteen degrees, it offers excellent ageing potential and enhances game dishes and mature cheeses.
Where does it come from
This wine originates in Radda in Chianti from a single plot of about one hectare called Il Solatio, located within the Castello di Albola estate. The twenty-year-old vines grow on a steep, rocky slope facing south-east, at an altitude between five hundred and fifty and six hundred metres. The soil is characterised by a prevalence of Alberese rock fragments, making it extremely permeable and low in fertility. These environmental features give the Sangiovese distinct aromas and promote the development of a very refined tannic structure.
How is it produced
The Sangiovese grapes are hand-harvested in the first ten days of October. The red vinification involves maceration for three or four weeks and fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in steel to preserve freshness and balance. Ageing includes a maturation phase in wood, divided among various types of oak barrels from Allier and Slavonia. The blend is then created and rests for a further six months in Slavonian barrels. The process concludes with a long final ageing of about eighteen months before release.
History and Curiosities
Born on the historic Castello di Albola estate, active since 1979, Il Solatio takes its name from the steep, sun-drenched slope of Radda in Chianti. The result of a single one-hectare plot at around 600 metres above sea level, this wine expresses a purest organic Sangiovese, drawing character from the rocky Alberese soil. The manual harvest at the beginning of October captures the essence of twenty-year-old vines, giving rise to an absolute champion. Awarded the three glasses Gambero Rosso and 92 points by Decanter, this extraordinary wine is perfect for exclusive vertical tastings.
Awards
-
2020
4Italian Sommelier Foundation (FIS) guide This has been one of the most prestigious wine guides in Italy for over 10 years.
-
2020
92/100
Decanter is a wine and lifestyle magazine, published monthly in around 90 countries. The magazine includes industry news, classic guides and advice on wine and spirits.
-
2020
3One of the most prestigious wine guides in Italy.
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
16 - 18 °C
Longevity:
10 - 15 years
Decanting time:
1 hour
- Start up year: 1979
- Oenologist: Alessandro Gallo
- Bottles produced: 750.000
- Hectares: 125
This is demonstrated by the interest of the Samminiati who, at the beginning of the 17th century when the male line of the Acciaiuoli had become extinct, took possession of Pian d’Albola thanks to the marriage between Ascanio Samminiati and Caterina Acciaiuoli. When Samminiati died, the property one again passed through a marital alliance to the Pazzis, one of the most noble and ancient Florentine families, who in fact kept it until the middle of the 19th century.
For the next hundred years Pian d’Abola, which in the general census of Chianti in 1832 was declared as one of the very few self-sufficient estates anywhere in the area, passed through several hands until 1940, when it was acquired by Prince Giovanni Ginori Conti. Forty years later it became the property of the Zonin Family, which initiated its second Renaissance. Read more
| Name | Castello di Albola Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Solatio 2020 |
|---|---|
| Type | Red organic still |
| Denomination | Chianti Classico DOCG |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 13.5% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Sangiovese |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Vendor | Castello di Albola |
| Story | History and Curiosities Born on the historic Castello di Albola estate, active since 1979, Il Solatio takes its name from the steep, sun-drenched slope of Radda in Chianti. The result of a single one-hectare plot at around 600 metres above sea level, this wine expresses a purest organic Sangiovese, drawing character from the rocky Alberese soil. The manual harvest at the beginning of October captures the essence of twenty-year-old vines, giving rise to an absolute champion. Awarded the three glasses Gambero Rosso and 92 points by Decanter, this extraordinary wine is perfect for exclusive vertical tastings. |
| Origin | Radda in Chianti, Chianti Classico |
| Soil composition | Prevalentemente frammenti di roccia Alberese; terreno molto permeabile e a bassa fertilità; pendio ripido e roccioso. |
| Cultivation system | Spurred cordon |
| Plants per hectare | 5,000 plants per hectare |
| Yield per hectare | 5,000 kg per hectare |
| Harvest | First ten days of October |
| Production technique | Traditional red winemaking with maceration for about 3-4 weeks; fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation completed in stainless steel. |
| Wine making | Traditional red vinification with maceration for approximately 3–4 weeks; fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature with constant monitoring of extraction; malolactic fermentation completed in stainless steel to preserve freshness and balance. |
| Aging | Once maceration and malolactic fermentation are complete, the wine is matured in Allier oak barriques for 14 months. This is followed by a long bottle ageing period of about a year and a half. |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |