1999 Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico

Villa Cafaggio

Villa Cafaggio is located in the commune of Greve lies in the very heart of the Chianti Classico region. It can trace its history back nearly 700 years and today is one of the most modern and dynamic producers in the region. Under the direction of Stefano Farkas, the wines are vinified in a state-of-the-art winery and then matured in a mixture of new French barriques and traditional large Slovenian casks.

The two Chianti Classicos are benchmark examples of new wave Chiantis with the Solatio Basilica Riserva being produced from 60-year-old vines and only produced in the very best years. Cortaccio (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Sangiovese) and San Martino (100% Sangiovese) are both aged in French barriques for 18 months and are concentrated wines that, while very appealing in youth, really show their best with 5 years cellaring.

Sangiovese

A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.

It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on south-facing hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought after in the world.

It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from farmyard/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums. In the 1960s the advent of Super Tuscans saw bottlings of 100% Sangiovese wines, as well as the introduction of Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blends, the most famous being Tignanello.