Valletta Toscana IGT - Tenuta Gagliole - 2020

75 cl

Robert Parker: 91 points

Alcohol content: 14% vol.

Grape varieties: 50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot

Vinification:

For the first wine from their new winery, the Bär family aged Merlot and Sangiovese for 14 months in French oak barriques. After bottling, the wine was stored in the Tenuta's cool cellar for another six months.

Tasting note:

The Gagliole 2020 Valletta is made from organic Sangiovese (50 %) and Merlot (50 %) and is a red wine with a broad texture and the softness you would expect from a warm vintage like this. The Gagliole 2020 Valletta is definitely more voluminous and powerful than the other wines in this portfolio, and when choosing food, you should focus on heavier dishes such as lasagne with meat filling or gnocchi with cheese. Despite this initial richness, the wine is actually quite lean, with polished tannins and a balanced freshness to match. There is no reason to wait. Around 7,000 bottles were produced.

Tenuta Gagliole:

The uniquely beautiful Tenuta Gagliole is a real gem that combines all the beauty of Tuscany. The estate was first mentioned in 994 AD and is a rare example of the traditional cultivation of olive trees and vines on ancient terraces supported by dry stone walls. Exquisite wines such as Biancolo, Rubiolo, Balisca, Valletta, Gagliole, Gallule and Pecchia, which are among the very best in Tuscany, are produced here.

Thanks to the Italian-Swiss precision in the care of the vineyards and the use of state-of-the-art technology in the cellar, Gagliole wines have been achieving top ratings and much praise in the international press for years. The Tenuta Gagliole winery was purchased in 1990 by the Swiss Dr Thomas Bär and his wife Monika. It is located in the small town of Castellina in Chianti, the vineyards face south-west and are around 500 metres above sea level, providing ideal ripening conditions for the Sangiovese grapes.

Gagliole has also had vineyards in Panzano since 2011 and is therefore divided between the two villages. Of the estate's 30 hectares, eight hectares are planted with vines - and they are still being expanded. Giulio Carmassi is one of Italy's top oenologists. As cellar master and agronomist, he is jointly responsible for the high quality of the wines at the Gagliole winery.