Tenuta di Vignole is owned by the Nistri Family who has been involved locally in the wine business since the mid 1800’s. They acquired their 21 hectares of winery property in 1970. Their focus of course is on making Chianti. I recently had a chance to taste some of their wines alongside family member Fabrizio Nistri. They were, on the whole, delicious well made wines but one stood above the others for me and I’ll look at it today.
The Tenuta di Vignole – 2006 Vignole Chianti Classico Riserva is produced from fruit sourced in the Panzano section of Chianti Classico. This offering is a blend of predominately Sangiovese (85%), with some Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) utilized as well. The fruit was handpicked and individual lots were fermented in concrete vats. Barrel aging took place over 20 months in a combination of 225 liter barriques and larger 400 liter vessels. After that time the lots were assembled and another 3 months of barrels aging commenced followed by 6 or more months of bottle aging. 1,200 6 pack cases of this wine were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $59.99.
Aromas of mushroom, spice and dry red fruits permeate the nose of this 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva. The palate is rich and loaded with mouth-filling red fruit flavors. Red raspberry and cherry star here and they are buoyed by clove and pepper spice. The finish is long and dry showing off continued spice and dried red fruit flavors. At 6 years old this wine is just beginning its life. It’s going to age well in bottle for a number of years more. It’s a fabulously structured example of Chianti that pairs wonderfully with food and will be a welcome addition to your table for a special occasion.