Poggiotondo, `Vigna delle Conchiglie` Chianti Riserva

Poggiotondo was founded in 1968 by Carlo Antonini. Carlo’s passion for agriculture and beekeeping led him to buy an estate with three hectares of vines in the west of Chianti. This passion was inherited by his son Alberto who, along with his wife Alessandra, runs the now 50-hectare estate today. Alberto is a renowned winemaker in his own right, consulting for a broad selection of award-winning wineries across the world. At Poggiotondo, he is dedicated to making authentic, pure expressions of indigenous Tuscan grapes, including Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino and Trebbiano. The estate’s vineyards have been certified organic since 2014. In the winery, they utilise concrete tanks and untoasted oak casks to preserve their wines' fruit, vitality and texture.

The ‘Rosato’ and ‘Vermentino’ delle Conchiglie are made from the estate’s best fruit (Sangiovese and Vermentino, respectively), sourced from plots specifically selected for the high concentration of fossils seashells by Alberto and his friend and colleague, renowned soil-mapping expert Pedro Parra. The organic Chianti is vibrant and delicious. The Chianti Superiore is a step up and comes from a selection of fruit from the low-yielding estate vineyards, showing deep, dark fruit and earthiness. The Chianti Classico ‘Terre di Cresci’ is sourced from a seven-hectare vineyard in the area known as ‘Cresci’ in Chianti Classico Montefioralle UGA. With an average vine age of 35 years, this is a vibrant, complex and succulent expression. Alberto’s flagship wine is the single vineyard ‘Vigna delle Conchiglie’. ‘Conchiglie’ translates to ‘seashells’ in Italian and nods to the vineyard's soils, which are rich in fossilised seashells. The resulting wine is silky and mineral with excellent length, depth and definition. The Chianti Riserva ‘Vigna del 1928’, named after the year the vines were planted, blends Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca. It hails from one of Chianti’s oldest vineyards which comprises half a hectare of vines rooted deep in the calcareous soils. The distance between each row is such that only a horse can pass through, meaning all the vineyard work must be lovingly undertaken by hand. The wine it makes is a testament to this remarkable site.