defined complexity

For more than 20 years, I have worked with Andrea Cecchi and the passionate team at Cecchi in the heart of Tuscany. A ‘Grand Selection’ is the highest destination in the Chianti Classico appellation, crafted from quality fruit, grown under strict vineyard regulations and then long ageing to achieve Gran Selezione classification. Cecchi began their Gran Selezione program in 2014, with this wine aiming to showcase the quality and purity of Sangiovese, along with unveiling a balanced elegance and refined character.
This wine is made exclusively with Sangiovese grapes grown in their Palagione vineyard, part of the historic Villa Rosa estate, which is in Castellina in Chianti. The vineyard is characterized by soils rich in alberese (a local mix of limestone & sandstone) along with pebbles and grown on some of the regions steepest slopes.
Once the grapes were deemed ripe, the harvested fruit underwent traditional vinification and controlled fermentation at temperatures between 25° - 28°C. Fermentation lasted for around 6 days, followed by maceration on skins for around 20 days to extract the varietal aromas and tannins. The wine was then aged for 15 months in large oak barriques and after tasting and blending it has a further 3-4 months in cement vats, before bottling, and resting for at least another 12 months before release.

★ You are greeted by a deep plum red colour. On the inviting nose, you have aromas of violets, dried herbs, mixed red and dark cherries, plums, a note of allspice and tobacco leaf. This wine is medium-to-fuller bodied, showcasing a confident personality, with cacao, ground coffee, dark berries, ripe plums, and a smoky ember nuance. The wine has good structure, classic grippy, even chewy tannins and defined complexity, with a grainy texture from time in mixed aged oak and an honest level of fruit acidity, resulting in a dynamic wine with a confident dry finish.

This 2021 CECCHI ‘Valore di Famiglia’ Chianti Classico Gran Selezione has 14.5% Alc./vol. Made in a classic dry style. Good broad-based decanting required and serve in a bold, generous shaped wine glass at 16° - 18°C. • *NZ$75.00

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Review 29/6/25)
With broad-based decanting of around 50 - 60 minutes, approachable this season; though it would appreciate another 9 -12 months, and will age well for another 7 - 8 years

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with prime cuts of meat, ossobuco, lamb shanks, wild game, meat lovers pizza, mushroom & truffle dishes with a red wine jus, aged prosciutto, rich earthy vegetarian cuisine & aged hard chesses - enjoy.