Pinot Noir 'Pievasciata' Vallepicciola 2024

Pinot Noir 'Pievesciata' from the Vallepicciola winery was born within an unspoilt and still somewhat wild context, on the eastern edge of the Chianti Classico territory, where the Arbia marks the transition to the deeper Aretine province. The pronounced altitude and dense surrounding woodland allows the birth of an interesting and characteristic Pinot Noir.

Vallepicciola makes 'Pievesciata' by vinifying in purity the Pinot Noir grapes that come from the area of the same name: a hamlet in the municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga, a few kilometres north-east of Siena. The area has the peculiar geology of Chianti Classico, with clay soil with a high percentage of limestone and a rocky soil composed of marl and limestone. The vineyards are cultivated according to the highest principles of environmental sustainability, lying on the gentle, rolling slopes that turn towards the narrow valley of the Arbia torrent and offering exposures that are now south, now east and now west, depending on the course of the relief lines: the altitude here is close to 400 metres above sea level and benefits the vines from a marked daily temperature range during the mid-season. Harvesting is carried out manually towards the end of August, with a yield of around 60 quintals per hectare, while the alcoholic fermentation phases take place in truncated conical wooden vats, at a controlled temperature. A 7-day post-fermentation maceration precedes racking into second and third passage barriques, where malolactic fermentation takes place. The ageing period lasts about 8 months in wooden barrels, followed by a final rest in the bottle of about 3 months.

Pinot Noir 'Pievasciata' from Vallepicciola presents an intense colouring in shades of ruby red, with bright violet hues. The nose is clear on hints of small berries such as wild strawberries and cassis and the sweet, acidulous notes of pomegranate berries, accompanied by floral tones of violets. The taste is composed and endowed with a certain elegance, balanced between a present and ripe tannin and a lively freshness that leads to a rather persistent finish with spicy hints. A well-designed red, which finds happy company in salami and medium-aged cheeses.