Casaloste Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG

Casaloste Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG

100 per cent Sangiovese from two top parcels

The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Casaloste has only been available since the 2011 vintage. This very special wine is actually the result of a "hot" situation. In 2011, a particularly hot summer made the use of the grapes from the very sunny Gran Selezione vineyard  not possible because the alcohol levels were simply too high. But Giovanni d’Orsi kept "a cool head" and made a blend with grapes from a somewhat cooler location. And so was born the new Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Casaloste. It consists of 100 per cent Sangiovese grapes from different vineyards. The grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks with a capacity of 50 hectoliters. This is followed by malolactic fermentation in used and new oak barrels and a ripening period of 18 months. And last but not least, at least 12 months of bottle ripening are added. Once uncorked, the Gran Selezione pampers the nose with spicy notes and delights the eye with a deep ruby red.

The Fattoria Casaloste: on the banks of the Greve in Panzano in Chianti

In 1992 Giovanni d’Orsi left Naples together with his wife Emilia and their three children. But why? Quite simply, because Emilia and he had fallen in love with a vineyard in Panzano in the heart of Chianti Classico. To be more precise, with the small Casaloste winery, which both of them decided to buy without further ado. They lovingly renovated the small house and turned it into a small piece of jewellery. And Giovanni who is an experienced agronomist and oenologist started with the same energy to work in the vineyards. His aim was to produce wines on a biological basis that would not deny their Tuscan roots and at the same time have the potential to become top wines. Casaloste has a total of 19 hectares of land, 10.5 of which are planted with vines and two with olive trees.

The organic pioneers in the organic district Panzano in Chianti

In 1994, Casaloste was the first officially certified organic vineyard in Panzano - and thus the pioneer of the "organic district" of Panzano (so was it proclaimed by the world press). Fattoria Casaloste is of course also a member of the ‘Unione di Viticoltori di Panzano‘, which is also committed to the principles of organic farming of the hills of Panzano. In other words, Casaloste uses no chemical products and the energy needed for cellars, mountains and agriturismo is generated by solar panels. Apropos agriturismo: Emilia and Giovanni have also lovingly restored two apartments within the stone walls of Casaloste. Here you can enjoy your organic holiday according to all the rules of the art: with a glass of red wine by the pool shaded by olive trees or if you prefer a wine tasting in the tasting room with a view over the barrels is also possible. Not easy to decide …

60,000 bottles of red wine - each one a poem…

Today the Fattoria Casaloste produces around 60,000 bottles of wine per year. The main actor is the autochthonous Sangiovese grape. And Giovanni has succeeded in taming this sometimes rough grape variety into wines full of elegance and warmth with his very own style. The two Gran Seleziones, for example, are made 100% from Sangiovese grapes: the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione "Don Vincenzo" from grapes from a single vineyard and the Gran Selezione "Casaloste" from grapes from different vineyards. 95 per cent Sangiovese are in the Chianti Classico Riserva, which is rounded off with a mixture of five per cent Merlot and other varieties. The top seller in the range is undoubtedly the Chianti Classico, 90 per cent Sangiovese and 10 per cent Merlot. The strong contrast to the Sangiovese heaviness of the wines of Casaloste is the Inversus Toscana IGT: the blending ratio used here is exactly the opposite of Chianti Classico: 90 per cent Merlot and 10 per cent Sangiovese. Casaloste wines have repeatedly taken top places in comparative tastings in recent years. Giovanni has achieved his goal: organic wines of the highest quality! Absolutely first-class - and of course fully organic - is also their own extra virgin olive oil, for which the fruits are picked and sorted by hand.