2018 Torre Matilde Chianti DOCG

Grapes: 85% Sangiovese, 15% Malvasia Nera

Region: Chianti <Tuscany <Italy

Viticulture/ cellar stats: Certified organic farming; tufa and clay soils; aged 6 months in steel and cement and 2 months in bottle; bottled unfined/unfiltered with <25ppm added So2; 14% ABV

Winemaker: Lucia and Fabio Bozzano 

Sangiovese is the king of grapes in Tuscany, going into everything from the table wines drunk by the gallon in the region, to the serious and age-worthy Brunello di Montalcino wines.  In between, there's a huge amount of Sangiovese pumping through the Chianti "factories" in the hills outside of Florence and Sienna, where unfortunately quantity has overtaken quality as the key metric for most.  The secret to discovering great Chianti, true Chianti, is turning to the small, family run, boutique  estates working to elevate the quality and reputation of winemaking in the region.  

Torre Matilde is one of these small family run estates.  With vineyards along Via Francigena, the ancient road and pilgrim route running from France to Rome, in the heart of Tuscany, Torre Matilde produces organic wine on its estate with vineyards going back to 780 AD. The winery’s namesake, Matilde di Canossa, was a one of the few powerful women ruling in the Middle Ages in Europe.  Torre Matilde wines are farmed and made organically, certified starting with their 2018 Chianti and then all wines from the 2019 vintage.

This 2018 Chianti a classic Tuscan blend of mostly Sangiovese with a drop of the Malvasia Nera grape - a local variety that adds an interesting sour cherry element.  This is old-school Sangiovese, herbal and soft, like a big, warm hug, with savory, herbal undertones.  There is a reason why Chianti is the ultimate pasta wine -- the generous acid and delicate tannic structure cleanse the palate and get you ready for that next bite.  So naturally you want this with any tomato-based pasta dish.  But go crazy and pair it with your BBQ -- it'll take a grilled burger with tomato to a whole new level.