Corzano e Paterno Chianti Terre di Corzano 2022

Description

“The estate is technically outside of Chianti Classico, but by a mere few hundred yards. The wines of Aljoscha Goldschmidt, however, are easily the equal of those of many a famous name inside the zone.”  Stephen Tanzer

Far from being just a vineyard, Tuscany’s Corzano e Paterno is a working, organic farm in San Casciano Val di Pesa (roughly halfway between Florence and Siena) rearing olives, sheep and vines. In Italy, Corzano are justifiably very famous for their Pecorino cheeses and olive oils.  The quality of the wines being produced today has never been better. Head of the family Aljoscha Goldschmidt crafts a small yet striking collection of wines from the farm’s approximately 15 ha of vineyards.  An intuitive viticulturist, driven by his belief in “typicity”, Goldschmidt’s beautifully vibrant, juicy and elegant Chianti are simply some of the most expressive and best value in the Colli Fiorentini. Goldschmidt’s wines capture the essence of their bucolic, edge-of-the-forest environment with aplomb. These wines could not be more different to the extractive, oaky styles that dominate the Tuscan landscape.  Aided in the winery by his talented, artistic cousin Arianna Gelpke, who was born and has always lived on the farm, Goldschmidt’s current batch of delicious, succulent reds wear their hearts on their sleeves.

This bohemian estates’s core wine is the Chianti Terre di Corzano, which translates as ‘soils of Corzano’. It’s 90% Sangiovese co-fermented with 10% Canaiolo, all hand-harvested from Corzano’s rocky, south-facing slopes. The soils here are what the Italians call alberese—compact clay/limestone littered with pebbles—which tends to yield particularly aromatic reds.
Incorporating 15% bunches, the wine fermented spontaneously before aging in a combination of 25- and 40-hectolitre botti, a traditional maturation that has become rare in today’s barrique-obsessed Tuscany. Arianna Gelpke enjoys the softening impact of large-format wood on Sangiovese tannins, and we can only agree.
Corzano’s transparent style, emphasising purity of fruit, is in full flight in this outstanding vintage. It’s bursting with the essence of hillside Sangiovese, with fresh cherry and berry aromas and a refined, silky palate perfectly framed by cooling bergamot tang and feathery tannins. The Canaiolo brings a dab of spice to the cherry, liquorice and woodland complexity that builds to a juicy finish. It’s welcoming right down to the final swallow—a moreish snapshot of the Florentine hills.

RRP $53  Our Special Price $43.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.