{"product_id":"2023-istine-chianti-classico","title":"2023 Istine Chianti Classico","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"fizz-flow-16 fizz-stack-16\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fizz-surface fizz-flow-16 fizz-stack-16 s-e6JtayITPVbW\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fizz-text-large\"\u003eAromatic nose carries scents of balsamic and dried herbs with a note of ripe plum. Black raspberry, cherry, and white pepper on the palate with good structure and a mineral driven finish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA much darker take compared to the 2022. 2023 was a difficult vintage, and very few were able to produce wines of quality like Angela Fronti has.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fizz-grid\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbout Istine:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1756914504554_750\"\u003eFor decades the Fronti family has specialized in vineyard development and management for famous Tuscan wineries. The family also owned small vineyard plots in the Chianti Classico area, mostly in Radda with some in Gaiole.  Some bulk wine was produced, but it wasn’t until Angela Fronti graduated from Enology school and convinced her father and uncle that they needed their own label that Istine was born. Their first wine was the 2009 Chianti Classico, of which less than 250 cases were made with fruit from the eponymous Istine vineyard.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eIstine only works with autochthonous varieties - today’s wines are 100% Sangiovese but they also have Cannaiolo and Malvasia Nera vines. Always working naturally, Istine has been certified organic since 2016. The wines are aged the old-fashioned way, in large 20hl\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ebotti grandi\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eof neutral oak, after a prolonged skin maceration that can last as long as six weeks!  Production is small - only about 60-70,000 bottles and the family does not envision expanding much.  Their 26 hectares of galestro (rocky schist) and alberese (sandstone) are some of the highest-elevation vineyards around: some 400-600 meters above sea level, which exactly suits their pure, linear aesthetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1756914504554_758\"\u003eThe vineyards are fragmented, in different zones with distinct characteristics. From the 2012 vintage, Angela began a project of separate vinification of Sangiovese depending on the vineyard of origin. Now, in addition to the Istine Chianti Classico, they make three different 'crus' of Chianti Classico coming from three distinct vineyard sites: the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eIstine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eVineyard - between Radda and Castellina, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eCasanova dell’Aia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eVineyard - near Radda, and the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eCavarchione\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eVineyard - in Gaiole.  Each of the cru wines is vinified the same way in order for the distinct characteristics of each terroir to shine through. The most representative lots are bottled with the name of their vineyard of origin, while the rest become part of the Chianti Classico, or Riserva\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLe Vigne\u003c\/em\u003e. Consequently not all of the crus are produced every year (for example, no Casanova dell’Aia was produced in 2016).  The graphics on the cru labels are stylised representations of each respective vineyard. The single-vineyard project is central to Istine’s identity and serves to distinguish them among their peers. The Chianti Classico Riserva\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLe Vigne\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eforms the pinnacle of their lineup and is produced in exceptional years from a blend of the three named vineyards, aged in Austrian oak from the prestigious Stockinger firm, and a small amount of delectable Sangiovese\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRosato\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas been made since 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Red Wine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46605401751751,"sku":"12927","price":36.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0501\/5663\/4311\/files\/IMG_2286.jpg?v=1780077233","url":"https:\/\/villagewinemerchant.com\/products\/2023-istine-chianti-classico","provider":"The Village Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}