“CEPPETO” Chianti Classico D.o.c.g.
Wine We have grown grapes in our vineyards and made them into wine for three generations, but we only decided to enter the market ourselves in 1998, when we decided to reap the fruits of our experience and bottle our own wine. In our quest for quality we sometimes had to adapt our own way of thinking and that of our assistants. We selected vineyards, carried out shorter pruning, thinned bunches and selected grapes, first in the field and then in the cellar, where years of practice enabled us to control fermentation to the best possible effect. Careful ageing in barriques for 12 months (avoiding new wood in order preserve the wine’s personality), and then for another year in the bottles, result in a balance of aroma and body, enhancing the best features of the Sangiovese from Ceppeto, the backbone of our Chianti Classico, the fullest expression of the Gaiole terroir.
Vineyard Six hectares of medium-texture clayey soil, with plenty of stones; excellent aspect, at an average altitude of 300m above sea level: the best possible production conditions which, along with suitable agronomical choices (minimal cultivation of the land; cordon training and short spur pruning; foliage control in summer; bunch thinning; leaf thinning; and harvesting in several stages), guarantee the highest quality grapes.
Blend Sangiovese 90%, Canaiolo 5% and ancient Tuscan grapes 5%
Enologist Giorgio Marone
Vineyard manager Folco Giovanni Bencini
Cellar Cellar man Andrea Mammuccini. The selected grapes are destemmed and gently crushed; vinification is carried out in medium-sized vats (50-100hl) with extended maceration (18-20 days) and délestage at intervals. Malolactic fermentation is carried out soon after devatting, a necessary step for the subsequent ageing (12 months) in French oak barriques (used for the second time). Lastly the wine completes its maturation with 12 months in the bottles.
Recommended ageing period The wine will continue to improve in balance and smoothness for 10-12 years