That was Vino al Vino 2018: dream weather & dream wines!
Vino al Vino 2018
It was already the 24th edition of Vino al Vino, which took place from September 13 - 16, 2018 in the piazza of Panzano in Chianti. And of course I was once again right in the middle of the action for all four days, meeting lots of friends and even some customers - which made me particularly happy.
I chatted with winemakers and of course tasted many, many wines. And I can say in summary: not only was the weather a dream on these four Vino al Vino days, but the wines I was able to taste were simply fantastic.
My 2018 "tasting plan": the 2015 and 2016 vintages and the 2014 Riserva
I can say this much in advance: the first impression I had of the current vintages at the Chianti Classico Collection in Florence in February was fully confirmed at Vino al Vino. All the wines from the 2015 and 2016 vintages present themselves in a very, very wonderful way. And the Riservas from the various wineries of the 2014 vintage are all simply wonderful to drink! As I have already mentioned several times, 2014 will probably not be the most storable vintage, but it will be a very drinkable vintage. And just between you and me: we all want to store well, but we'd rather drink well!
Vino al Vino 2018: What's new?
A special feature this year was that, for the first time in many years, a new winery presented itself at Vino al Vino: Namely, the youngest member of the Unione di Viticoltori di Panzano in Chianti, the Il Vallone di Cecione winery. The owner of the winery, Francesco Anichini, also presented his Chianti Classico 2015 and 2016. I found both vintages very easy to distinguish and drink. A very traditional winery in young hands - it will be interesting to see what else will happen in the coming years.
Of course, my Ape Carlotta was once again in the middle of it all instead of just being there: in the piazza, at Dario Cecchini's - we two beauties whizzed around everywhere. Always there, of course, were the famous Chianti Classico stick figures by Panzanese artist Luca Carfagna, with which my Carlotta is decorated. Incidentally, Luca's works of art could also be viewed and purchased in the piazza.
Luca's interpretation of yoga & wine
A retrospective that makes you want to grow older ...
Yes, you read that right. Getting older is great! From a wine lover's point of view, it's easy to explain why: a personal highlight of this year's Vino al Vino for me was the "Retrospective". Only journalists are invited to this special event - and Nina in Chianti too... Wines from Panzano wineries that are ten, twenty or even thirty years old are opened for tasting. And I can only say: this year was very, very impressive!
Vintage 2008: A decade of peace and quiet, please!
2008 is considered an outstanding vintage. And it has been shown that these wines are still in absolute top form even after ten years in the bottle. The 2008 from Il Palagio di Panzano by Monia Piccini stood out for me, presenting itself with such freshness and crispness - a dream. And this despite the fact that the 2008 was only Monia's second vintage ever produced! The only real pity is that I don't have a single bottle of it left myself!
Born in 1998: 20 years and not a bit quiet!
But the most exciting part of the "retrospective" is the tasting of the twenty-year-old or even older wines. You never know what to expect. But our expectations were exceeded by far! The 1998 Petresco from Le Cinciole is a truly fantastic wine even after twenty years - with all its subtlety, finesse and perfectly balanced tannins. Just like the Fortissimo 2008! And also the D'Alceo from Castello dei Rampolla, which consists mainly of Cabernet, what can I say: it is an absolute pleasure to drink this wine, which even after twenty years still convinces with a captivating elegance.
Retrospective - Fontodi 2008, 1998, 1988
Vintage 1988: The Vigna del Sorbo from Fontodi - an absolute highlight!
And a really, really big highlight of the retrospective was Fontodi! The "Vigna del Sorbo", classified as Chianti Classico in 1988 - a thirty-year-old (!!!) wine - was a real taste sensation. I still have to smile as I write this when I think of this wine! It touched and convinced me - simply fantastic! And that after an incredible 30 years of storage!
However, Giovanni Manetti, owner of Fontodi and producer of this wine, was certainly the happiest person to be present at this year's Vino al Vino in his role as President of the Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico for the first time. Many of the winegrowers, friends, journalists and many more congratulated him on his new role and expressed their delight that a man with such a great passion for winemaking and such good intuition is the new "Presidente"!
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Giovanni once again from the bottom of my heart on this responsible and important position!