Comes from an exceptional vintage and renowned vineyard made by deeply experienced Chianti-Tuscany winemaking family. It is not a showboat, it is does what Chianti does best—complement the meal. Serious wine, outstanding value for a Chianti Classico. $31-35
The Cecchi family, a major player in Tuscan wine, obtained the historic Villa Rosa in 2015. The Lucherini Bandini family had owned for the previous 70 years or so. The two families were connected through the legendary taster Giulo Gambelli, who considered Villa Rosa vineyards the best for growing sangiovese in Castellina in Chianti. This comes from the single Ribaldoni vineyard. The vineyard sits at 800-plus-foot elevation within the hills of Castellina. Calcareous clay soils combine with alberese rocks with schist-like marl. It is located in Europe’s oldest cypress grove.
Under the Bandini family, the winery focused on sustainability in the 1990s. Villa Rosa was the first Tuscany business to build a plant-based sewage treatment facility to reduce energy consumption and reuse the purified water. The plant was upgraded in 2012 and won the Eco-Efficient Tuscany prize. It includes 84 acres planted in sangiovese.
The Cecchi family has been making wine since 1893. Luigi Cecchi, a professional wine taster, laid the foundation. The website notes: “Luigi’s reputation is renown internationally, so much so that already during the ‘30s the family name began its unrelenting growth. In the ‘70s, the family moved to the municipality of Castellina in Chianti, a historical Chianti Classico production site, where the productive process that would then become the hallmark of constant quality began.”
After the move to Castellina, the family began a series of estate acquisitions, with the purchase of Villa Rosa the “crown jewel” of their expansion. Andrea Cecchi—a fourth-generation winemaker along with his brother, Cesare—says soil was the deciding factor in the purchase. They produce a flagship wine, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, from the vineyard’s highest elevations. Ribaldoni Chianti Classico DOCG comes from slightly lower elevation. The Cecchi assert Villa Rosa is a return to the family’s Chianti Classico roots and represents the future of the Cecchi name as the vineyards mature. The vineyards already were highly regarded when acquired. Gambelli-era wines from Villa Rosa, particularly the 1969 and 1971 riservas, are considered legendary.
Famiglia Cecchi Villa Rosa Ribaldoni Chianti Classico DOCG 2021: Deep garnet-ruby color; sour-tart cherry, plum, black currant, raspberry, cedar, balsamic, oak spice on the nose and palate. Dry; velvety tannins; balancing acidity. Medium body. Fresh, lean, touch of sourness that fades some with air. Classic, old school type of Chianti Classico. The 100% sangiovese was fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel, then spent a year in oak tonneaux (medium-size barrels—130-185 gallons—for moderate oak effect). Bottle held for six months before release. 14% ABV
Pairing—Pasta with meat sauce, sausage-based ragù. Meat or mushroom lasagna. Roast veal, other roasted, braised, or grilled meats. Roast lamb, pork shoulder. Tuscan-style herb-roasted chicken. Meatballs in red sauce. Pizza. Oso buco with tomato-based braise. Mushroom risotto, eggplant parmigiana, Tuscan bean dishes (cannellini beans with rosemary and olive oil). Avoid spicy dishes, delicate fish, sweet sauces/glazes. Cheese—Aged pecorino Toscano, parmigiano-reggiano, grana padano, aged asiago; Tuscan-style hard cheeses, aged provolone, fontina. Avoid soft/bloomy rinds, brie, camambert; very sharp or smoked cheese, aged cheddar, smoked gouda; very creamy triple-crème, brillat-savarin style.
