Panzano is a special place nestled right in the center of Chianti Classico that’s unlike any other village in Tuscany. There, the viticulturist union of Panzano is an association of 20 independent wine growers dedicated to natural winemaking. Their work is on the way to making Panzano the first completely organic viticultural region in Italy. Candialle is one of those guardians of organic winemaking in Panzano. 

Josephin & Jarkko Peränen lead the team behind the Candialle winery. Their 42 hectares consist of olive trees, surrounding woodlands, and 12 hectares planted to vines. They plant cover crops like barley and wheat to protect the soils. These soils are called Galestra, a combination of limestone, clay, sandstone, and chalk, which gives their Sangiovese both a power and lightness.

Their wines show pure fruit and have enough structure to age. Candialle uses a combination of elevage vessels, including used barrel with 5% new oak, concrete tanks, and a ceramic ball made by an Genoa engineer called a Clayver, which is completely neutral and sealed with a glass lid. This is a rare type of elevage, and Candialle’s 2013 Mimas was the first commercial wine in the world aged in Clayver.  

The 2013 Candialle Ciclope Rosso Toscano is a Sangiovese dominant blend with Merlot and Syrah.  It's full-bodied with dense dark fruit, spice, dried herbs and leather notes. Perfect for your favorite hearty Italian meal. With almost a decade of age and at $23/bottle, this is definitely a bottle to get your hands on.