2016 Podere Alberese 'A Vento e Sole' Chianti DOCG

Grapes: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Fogliatonda

Region: Chianti <Tuscany <Italy

Viticulture/ cellar stats: Certified organic farming; tufa and clay soils; fermentation and aging in stainless steel; bottled unfined/unfiltered with <25ppm added So2; 13.5% 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.  And, 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.  

Podere Alberese is one of these small family run estates.  Purchased by Lucia Bozzano's family in 1995, the estate was then essentially in ruins.  After studying winemaking in Milan, Lucia returned home to Tuscany to help rehabilitate Podere Alberese into the vibrant agriturismo it is today, filled with fruit trees, olive groves and of course, vines.  Lucia is committed to maintaining traditional, low-intervention winemaking techniques because she says her goal is to capture "Tuscan terroir in a bottle".  Organic farming is the foundation of her work, and the estate was certified organic in 2007. 

'A Vento e Sole' a classic Tuscan blend of mostly Sangiovese with a drop of the obscure Fogliatonda grape- a local variety that adds a touch of softness.  This is classic, old-school Chianti, with tart cherry, raspberry and a hint of blood orange 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.