Tenuta di Carleone 2019 Chianti Classico, Italy

Biodynamic vineyard. Hand harvested. Pressed by foot. Fermented using native yeasts (and no additions of any sort) in Stainless Steel, cement tanks and open-top bins for 40-60 days, with some whole clusters used to add depth. Then racked off into tank to age for 18 months sur lie prior to bottling. No fining or filtering or adding of anything.

13.5% ABV

This wine is from Radda in Chianti, an area within the Classico designation you can find North of Siena and South of Florence. Thirty years ago, world-traveler and one-eyed dreamer Sean O’Callahan handed in his thesis at a German winemaking school and took off on his motorcycle. He landed in Chianti Classico and never looked back.

Following organic and biodynamic practices, he farms a collection of small, high-altitude plots (1300-2200 feet elevation) on soils that alternate between limestone and sandstone. His winemaking is both thoughtful and playful, creating intriguing and complex wines that are a joy to drink.

Sean’s vision for Sangiovese is to strike a balance between structure, fruit and freshness. That balance is achieved by fermenting with native yeasts in concrete and/or steel containers, with a portion of the grapes in whole cluster.