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Our Favorite Tuscan Town
11/12/21
I love how Sangiovese is a messenger pigeon for weather, soil and style. It tells you exactly what happened to it that year in the vineyard and cellar. And if Sangiovese is the over-sharer of grapes, I want it to say it's from a cool place where it lived its best life in the care of a grower crafting focused, driven wine. That place is Radda.
The forested Tuscan town which sits a stone's throw from Siena is famous as the home of Montevertine, where this seminal producer exposed how special the terroir is for Sangiovese. Wine from Radda is dizzying in its complexity. And lucky for us, there's lots to explore.
Radda 📷 via Monteraponi
THE ESSENTIALS
THE SCENE:
Radda is a tiny hilltop town at the highest elevation in Chianti Classico. It's surrounded by thick forest, and–unlike Tuscany's undulating countryside–it's defined by a tight, twisting valley. When the trees open to reveal the town, you feel like the whole of Tuscany is underneath your feet.
THE ELEVATION:
More than just scenery. It's responsible for a coolness you won't find elsewhere in Chianti Classico, which gives the Sangiovese persistent fresh fruit.
THE SOIL:
Riddled with limestone (the holy grail of soil types), it's high in pH which informs the fruit with tension and acid.
THE WINE:
Principles of natural winemaking define how the region produces in a very careful, artisan way. Sangiovese from Radda is aromatic, elegant and long-lived.
IT STARTS HERE:
MONTEVERTINE
The wine world’s reverence for Radda and its reputation as hallowed ground for Sangiovese can be attributed to this one producer.
Founded in 1967, Montevertine famously challenged the Chianti Classico consortium to allow 100% Sangiovese wines. When they were denied (at the time the appellation required a blend), Montevertine bottled without the DOCG label. They staked everything on Radda and Sangiovese, and the rest is very well documented history.
Mouthwatering, richly layered and wildly persistent, there’s a reason Montevertine is on every seminal wine list and in every serious cellar. They bottle three Sangiovese wines, of which Le Pergole Torte is the flagship. While the queen hasn't released yet, we just received '18s of their namesake Rosso (in 3 sizes!) and the always charming Pian Del Caímpolo. All of which show the cut and precision that makes them famous the world over.
RADDA'S BEST KEPT SECRET:
PRUNETO
Under $30 and under-the-radar, Pruneto is excellent Chianti Classico that feels and tastes more expensive than it is. It's hard to find because their production is tiny and lineup is limited, but the 2016 Chianti Classico is from an epic vintage and showing all the spice of its 6 years of age.
RADDA'S NEXT GREAT:
MONTERAPONI
A handful of ambitious producers are crafting Radda’s next chapter. Monteraponi bottles beautifully refined Chianti Classico and site-specific Riservas. And they’re also pushing to see what else is possible in Radda–with and without Sangiovese. There’s lots to explore here from a vinous and age-worth Rosato to Riservas that rival the best of the appellation, and a world-class Trebbiano as golden and Tuscan as any white we’ve tasted.