Villa Cerna 2017 Chianti Classico 'Primocolle'

Who?
Villa Cerna is the jewel in the crown of Famiglia Cecchi's vineyards. Cecchi was first established in 1893 and has built up an enviable estate of vineyards around Tuscany including Val delle Rose in Grosseto and Castello Montaùto in San Gimignano. The property has its origins in the Middle Ages dating back to 1001AD.

Where?
The vineyards are located in Castellina in Chianti, in the south of the zone and is one of the first vineyards you encounter when leaving Siena. The estate is now 83 hectares of vineyards on chalky, alkaline soils at around 280 metres above sea level. Chianti Classico is one of Italy's most famous and highly prized vineyard areas. Since the Middle Ages the wines of this region, which are found between Florence and Siena in the Monti di Chianti, have been revered for their elegance and complexity. Following a rocky patch in the 1960s when the Italian government pushed wineries to produce wines that about quantity over quality, the wines have become internationally famous with some estates being a roll-call of Italy's best.

Why?
Villa Cerna Primocolle is made from savagely low yields of around 6 tonnes per hectare. Famiglia Cecchi's long winemaking heritage means that they have access to some of the zone's best vineyards and due to their scale, they can produce wines at quite exceptional value for money. This 2016 will age for many years, hailing from one of Tuscany's greatest vintages in living memory.