Molino delle Balze 2021

The Chianti Classico area is well-suited to white wines with good structure and elegance. The presence of rock and various minerals, such as Galestro stone and limestone, gives structure and acidity in particular to a variety such as Chardonnay which especially benefits from this terrain. The land is made even more suitable due to the constant climate of the upper area of Chianti Classico with a temperature range that accompanies the ripening of the grapes from August until the harvest in the second half of September.

Molino delle Balze is a historic estate label that has been produced since 1985 from approximately 3.90 hectares in 4 different plots:

- Podere La Stella: 1 hectare about 480 metres above sea level facing north-east with soils rich in Chianti macigno and other sandstones.

- Caciaie: 1 hectare at an altitude of approximately 400 metres exposed to the north, this area is characterised by areas rich in alberese and other calcareous arigillaceous sequences.

- Sodone: 1 hectare at an altitude of about 380 metres exposed to the West, this area is also characterised by the marked presence of alberese and limestone.

- Campi: 0.9 hectares at an altitude of about 300 metres exposed to the east, this area is definitely cooler with soils rich in Pietraforte and Alberese.

This diversity of soils, exposure and altitude allows the creation of Molino delle Balze, a full-bodied and structured Chardonnay capable of combining freshness and minerality. A wine also of great longevity.

APPELLATION Toscana IGT

GRAPE VARIETY 100% Chardonnay

VINEYARD Various plots in Loc. Castagnoli

SOIL Rich in Albarese stone and limestone

VINEYARD SIZE 3 ha

VINEYARD AGE Various, from 6 to 20 years old

EXPOSURE East/west

AVERAGE ALTITUDE 420m a.s.l.

VINEYARD DENSITY 5000 vines/hectare

AVERAGE YIELD PER PLANT 1kg

CULTIVATION/PRUNING Spur pruning

HARVEST Second half of September

MACERATION Cold pressing for 48 hours, followed by soft pressing

FERMENTATION 50% in steel and 50% in first and second passage barriques for about 10 days.

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION Partly in wood and partly in steel

AGING At least 10 months in the bottle.

ANNUAL PRODUCTION About 10,000 bottles

SENSORY PROFILE A wine with intense minerality and flavor with notes of freshness that make it elegant and lingering, Molino delle Balze is a white wine with a clear, bright straw-yellow color. It has a lingering scent of peach and apricot with a background of quince and acacia honey. It is a wine that is supple and enveloping on the palate. Its perfect balance ends with an excellent lingering finish. It is intended to be drunk soon, but will evolve over the next 5-10 years.

PAIRING White meat, fresh and medium-aged cheeses, fish of all kinds.

SERVING TEMPERATURE 8-10°C