Giovanni Chiappini Guado de Gemoli Bolgheri Superiore 2017

Cellar for up to 15 years. Decant 1 hour before serving.

Giovanni Chiappini’s family moved to Tuscany’s Bolgheri region in the 1950s and initially made only bulk wine until the late 1970s. Giovanni learned his trade working alongside his father and it wasn’t long before he realised his dream of putting the family name on his own wines. These days Giovanni takes good care of his vineyards and winery, while his two daughters help with sales, marketing and the cellar. In total they have 27 hectares of vineyards off the Via Bolgherese right next to the legendary Ornellaia.

This proximity means the family have access to excellent terroir with their vines planted on four different parcels on alluvial calcareous soils. This bottling is crafted from two of their older vineyards, Le Grottine which was planted in 1978, and Felciaino planted in 1986. It’s predominantly made from Cabernet Sauvignon as well as some Merlot and Cabernet Franc. All of the grapes are grown organically and winemaking happens in steel tanks using wild yeasts. The young wine is then transferred to French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.

The family makes just a few thousand bottles of this powerful Tuscan red each year, making it the perfect choice for lovers of artisanal Italian wines. In the glass there’s a gorgeous deep ruby hue with elegant notes of wild bramble, plum and cherry. The first sip reveals a generous full boy, smooth tannins and intense dark fruit, spice and cedar notes which linger on the tongue.