And Gagliole

DECEMBER 2018 m nthly cheers to SEVEN new Italian and brands Gagliole: land of dreams December 2018 • Issue XIII • NEW JERSEY Vias Imports Ltd., 875 Sixth Ave, Suite 1500, New York, NY 10001 USA • Tel. (212) 629-0200 • Fax (212) 629-0262 • www.viaswine.com • @viaswine PRODUCER OF THE MONTH Gagliole's Panzano property Gagliole Nothing is left to chance at Gagliole; rather, retreat in Tuscany’s Chianti zone, near The lofty cypresses, the stepped as owner Thomas Bär says, “Our vision Castellina in Chianti, a privileged spot terraces, the hedgerows interwoven consists of showcasing, in our wine, the where they could at last spend long with roses, aromatic herbs, and shrubs— cultural synthesis between our personal periods of tranquillity. these are the elements that comprise history and the history of our Chianti Gagliole’s welcome to its guests. Monika Classico growing area, and to achieve a The old barely-tended vineyards had their Bär-Bettschart, who has dedicated a large felicitous interrelationship between Italian own charm that enchanted them, just as it part of her life to the world of art and tradition and creativity and Swiss precision.” had, almost a thousand years prior, to collecting art, has focused painstaking Ildebrando, son of Lombard King attention on the design of her garden. ------- Berengarius, who gave this domain to his Strolling along its pathways, one is struck wife as a wedding present. What the Bärs not just by its overall beauty and harmony, Many years ago, love struck under the called the "Land of Dreams" is a jewel of but also by the certitude of being Tuscan sun between Swiss travelers an estate, where at first they only spent welcomed in a place that is cherished, Thomas Bär and Monika Bettschart. Both their vacations. Later, having tasted the tended, and designed to be in harmony on a vacation, they decided to stay and wine that local winemakers had made with the larger surrounding environment. spend their lives together right in these from grapes grown on their property, they Here, roses predominate, Monika Bär’s Tuscan hills and to make thei r second decided to becomewine producers as well, favourite, to the extent that she wanted home in the Chianti region. Thus, a new and started out with just three hectares of them even on the front label of the chapter began for the Antico Podere vineyards. That was in 1994, and since then Rubiolo Chianti Classico. Gagliole, the ancient estate of Gagliole, many things have changed. Today, Gagliole which the Bärs chose in 1990 as their is a modern winery that boasts almost 20 2 hectares of vineyards, on two different sites, one in Castellina in Chianti and the other in the Conca d’Oro in Panzano. Its iconic wine, of course, couldn't be called anything other than "Gagliole," the ancient name of the estate. Approaching Gagliole from Castellina, one travels along a road almost hidden amidst the classic Chianti-area vegetation, with its young oaks and ilexes, which winds "Our vision down the western slope of the high hills that provide a magnificent view of the Elsa consists of Valley. Travel around the last curve, and showcasing, in our there is the winery, announced by a line of dark green cypresses, with slender, heaven- wine, the cultural reaching shapes that seemingly protect the galestro-rich terraces that host some synthesis between of Gagliole’s estate finest vineyards. There are 10 hectares of vineyards in Castellina, our personal of which 4 form a semi-circle around the winery itself, facing west, southwest, and history and the southeast. The brownish-yellow soil here is derived from clay pebbles, a terrain classic history of our to Chianti at this elevation, 450 meters. Chianti Classico Sangiovese predominates here, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Malvasia Bianca, growing area, all ancient vines. The latter vines have now reached the age of 40 years, while the and to achieve youngest vineyards date back to 1996. Later, in 2011, Gagliole’s viticultural wealth a felicitous was further enriched by a considerable vineyard located in the Conca d’Oro in interrelationship Panzano in Chianti, whose site, exposure, between Italian and potential quality immediately excited Monika & Thomas. Its 10 hectares tradition and include Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, at a significant elevation of creativity and 500-550 meters; the vines are planted in predominantly galestro-rich soils that are Swiss precision." rocky and nutrient poor, but with abundant mineral content. They possess excellent groundwater reserves and allow the vine grapes that naturally express all the qualities depth of Gallule and Pecchia. roots to extend very deep into the soil, so of their terroir, Gagliole’s philosophy is that they absorb components required for based on the principles of sustainable good vine and fruit growth. In addition to agriculture, and they pay serious attention The wines of Gagliole the existing vines are new ones that were to innovative products of organic viticulture planted in accord with rigorous viticultural that boost the vine’s own defences against The true standard-bearer, the most principles with respect to specific clones, the most virulent pathogens. In winemaking, impressive expression of the estate, from rootstocks, and vine density, which reaches they employ state of the art techniques to which it takes its name, is Gagliole IGT 7,000 vines per hectare in a parcel extract the grape’s full concentration and Colli della Toscana Centrale, its dedicated to Sangiovese. all aromatic compounds. Gagliole produces grapes a blend of 98% Sangiovese and the Toscana IGTs for its white wines, Colli remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, with all its On this recently-acquired estate, lying in the della Toscana Centrale for its reds, and, of grapes grown in vineyards in Panzano in prestigious Conca d’Oro area of Panzano, course, Chianti Classico. For each individual Chianti. The clusters are given a meticulous the Bärs have carried out experimentation wine, the winemaking team carefully selects, quality-selection in the vineyard, followed invaluable for the future qualitative from the winery’s wealth of vineyard by a second selection of the berries on evolution of Gagliole’s wines. This future lies parcels, the lots of grapes that can convey the sorting tables in the cellar, after which in large part with Sangiovese, seeing that in the most complete and focused manner the berries are given a fermentation- this grape constitutes 85% of the vineyards possible the character of each individual maceration in oak barrels lasting almost 60 and makes up a prominent—yet always wine— whether Rubiolo’s nervy crispness, days. Eighteen months of maturation in oak, variable—percentage of the blend of the Valletta’s seductive smoothness, Gagliole’s 30% new, ensure that the wine will fully winery’s red wines. In order to produce complex concentration, or the impressive exhibit its fascination, its rich, floral bouquet, VIAS MONTHLY • DECEMBER 2018 3 with hints of spice, and its full-volumed An avant-garde cellar lengthy fermentation-maceration, lasting as body and densely-woven tannins. Construction of the new cellar in Panzano long as 2 months. No pump-overs or Pecchia, the winery’s renowned IGT, will punch-downs are necessary, since the enter a new stage in its life with the 2013 in Chianti is in full swing, and in the 2019 harvest, all the winemaking and maturation barrels are designed to be easily rotated vintage, since with that harvest the wine will several times a day, which ensures that be made exclusively with grapes from the will take place there. Its construction became necessary in order to meet the grape skins, pulp, etc. remain almost vineyards in Conca d’Oro di Panzano in continuously immersed in the fermenting Chianti. Only the finest-quality growing challenge of processing an amount of grapes that had doubled with the purchase must and that the sediment stays years go into that wine: 2013 will be suspended in the fermenting mass. Without followed by 2015, while the estate’s wine of vineyards in the Conca d’Oro. The building, set into the hillside, is almost going too much into detail— which is the library preserves the 1999, 2003, 2004, domain of Tonnellerie Baron, which holds 2006, 2007, and 2010 vintages, which hidden from view, and that integration into its surrounding landscape, of breath-taking the patent of this technology— the results were made with grapes from the historic are quite remarkable, with more sharply- vineyards at Gagliole. A monovarietal beauty and proportion, will be further favored by its façade of native Chianti stone. focused aromatics and a more forward Sangiovese, Pecchia matures 18 months in spiciness, improved concentration, and French oak barrels and ages a further year in the bottle, which yields a superb red A peek into a barrel used for integral with an impressive structure and multi- vinification layered complexity, displaying extractive concentration and a forceful personality that maturation in oak—70% new, which transforms it into pure elegance. What particularly stands out is its full body, masterfully balanced and supported by fine- grained, silky tannins, and unrivaled length, elements that can develop for many years into the future. 2018 will witness the introduction of a milestone wine, fruit of lengthy experimentation with grapes grown in the terraced vineyards of Castellina in Chianti. A Chianti Classico Riserva, its name, Gallule, honors the ancient name of Gagliole. The vines are decades old and produce Sangiovese fruit

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