Medium sweet but ultra aromatic Vin Santo bursting with fragrances of caramelized lemon zest, apricots, almonds and ginger

This luscious Vin Santo wine is wonderfully aromatic, and (most importantly) it has a lovely level of sweetness. We tasted several and landed on this one because it’s not overly sugary or syrupy. The aromas of Malvasia Bianca are so intense because of the winemaking technique. La Castellina’s winemaker, Tommaso Bojola, harvested the grapes late before drying them indoors to concentrate the natural flavours. Even after ageing for ten years (!) this wine impressed us with its primary floral aromas. And of course, there is a lot of beautiful tertiary development with intense flavours of apricot stone, almond and hazelnut.

Winemaking

Grapes for this Vin Santo del Chianti Classico wine are grown on the south-west facing slopes beside Castellina in Chianti. Malvasia and Trebbiano Toscano grapes are harvested late, in early October, just before the autumn rains begin. The bunches are then dried in the winery, which sits higher on the hill in Castellina.

As the water evaporates, the grapes lose about 30% of their mass and become half-raisins, with ultra-concentrated flavours and sugars. Immediately after pressing, juice is pumped into caratelli – small chestnut barrels – and sealed with wax.

It stays in caratelli for three years, kept at the winery’s ambient temperature. The natural changes in temperature, specific to the Chianti area, kick-start and pause the fermentation process over many months, until the yeast has naturally reached its maximum alcohol level. After this, the wine continues its ageing cycle and develops its bouquet of tertiary aromas.

Tasting notes

This succulent Vin Santo del Chianti Classico has a medium amber hue. It offers pronounced aromas of caramelized lemon zest, red grapefruit and apricot, supported by notes of almond, ginger, marzipan and hazelnuts. It’s medium-sweet, with noticeable acidity which helps the wine to retain its fruity notes.