2013 Rocca di Montegrossi Meritage

The 2013 Geremia shows just how exceptional this vintage is in Chianti Classico. Vibrant, powerful and structured, the 2013 is a thoroughbred that is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Black cherry, plum, exotic spice, graphite, sage and lavender infuse the intense, massively powerful finish. This fruit was picked on October 3 and 4, which is on the later side for the estate. What a wine!
Estate Notes: Supple and lush; cassis, herbs, black/purple fruit. 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Estate vineyards are located in Monti in Chianti, a “micro-area” of Gaiole in Chianti. This area, between 1,050 and 1,500 feet in altitude, offers the ideal range for ripening grapes perfectly. Soils combine alberese (limestone) and galestro (schist) with clay.  Hand-harvested. Fermented on indigenous yeasts in upright wooden fermentation tanks. Aged for 28 months in older French oak barrels (75%) and older tonneaux (25%), between 1-4 years old. Aged in bottle for 12 months. The Ricasoli-Firidolfi family is synonymous with Chianti Classico, as Baron Bettino Ricasoli in 1872 created the original “formula” for Chianti Classico’s blend of grapes. The Rocca di Montegrossi estate is located in a unique micro-zone called Monti in Chianti, part of Gaiole in Chianti. This exceptional, high-altitude plateau with its stony, calcareous soils produces some of the more elegant and harmonious Chianti Classico wines in the appellation; Monti in Chianti is one of the “very best areas” of Chianti Classico, says Antonio Galloni.