Villa Saletta Chianti Superiore 2020
£21.45
The wine
Ruby red with violet tinges, opening on a full, intense aroma of florals and red fruit. Fresh, smooth and well balanced in the mouth, with violet, cherry and vanilla fused with a light smokiness. The palate shows the characteristic intensity of Sangiovese, supple tannins and a vibrant, dynamic freshness.
Chianti Superiore is the wider Chianti appellation rather than Chianti Classico, and requires lower yields and longer ageing than the standard wine. The Pisan hills lie west of the classic zones and are warmer, which is why Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot ripen alongside the Sangiovese here.
The producer
Villa Saletta
View all Villa Saletta winesVilla Saletta lies in the Pisan hills at Palaia, and the estate is documented as far back as the tenth century; the surrounding hamlet is medieval. It fell into disrepair in the twentieth century and was bought in 2000 by the Hands family, who have spent two decades restoring both the buildings and the vineyards.
This is not classic Chianti country. The Pisan hills lie west of the famous zones, closer to the coast and warmer, which is why Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot ripen here as reliably as Sangiovese. The estate has leaned into that rather than fighting it, and the top wines are Bordeaux varieties made in a Tuscan setting.
Everything is farmed organically, and the vineyards were entirely replanted rather than inherited, which allowed the family to match variety to soil from the outset. The wines carry family names, and 980, a varietal Cabernet Franc, refers to the year the estate first appears in the historical record.
