Poggio Scalette
History and Background
Podere Poggio Scalette, located in the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, Italy, was founded in the mid-20th century by Vittorio Fiore. The estate is known for its exceptional Sangiovese-based wines, which reflect the unique terroir of the region. Podere Poggio Scalette's commitment to quality and traditional winemaking practices has earned it a prestigious reputation among Italian wine producers.
Vineyards and Terroir
Poggio Scalette's vineyards are located in Greve in Chianti, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany, Italy, covering approximately 30 hectares:
- Soil Composition: The soils are predominantly rocky, with a significant presence of schist known as galestro, along with limestone. This combination enhances drainage and retains warmth, contributing to the intensity and complexity of the wines.
- Grape Varieties: The estate primarily grows Sangiovese, along with smaller quantities of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapes produce robust and structured red wines that reflect the unique terroir characteristics, marked by rich aromas, profound depth, and longevity. The area's high elevation and the meticulous viticultural practices at Poggio Scalette further emphasize the distinctive minerality and elegance in their wines.
Wine Style and Production
- Key Characteristics: Poggio Scalette's wines are renowned for their profound elegance and complexity. They typically exhibit rich, robust flavors of blackcurrant, plum, and nuanced spices, along with aromatic notes of tobacco and cedar wood. The wines are well-structured, showcasing a high acidity content that contributes to their freshness, firm tannic backbone, and excellent potential for aging. Their body tends to be full and satisfying on the palate, reflecting the high-quality fruit used in production.
- Winemaking Philosophy: At Poggio Scalette, the winemaking philosophy centers around a deep respect for the unique characteristics of their terroir, paired with a commitment to sustainability. The estate prioritizes organic practices, both in the vineyard and during production, to minimize environmental impact. By implementing traditional winemaking techniques alongside modern innovations, the winery strives to produce wines that authentically express the distinct qualities of their vineyard sites while achieving high standards of quality.
- Influence on Style and Quality: The winery's meticulous approach to vineyard management, including hand-harvesting and selective green harvesting, ensures that only the best grapes are used, significantly influencing the style and quality of the wines. The strategic use of controlled temperatures during fermentation and aging in French oak barrels both preserves the natural fruit flavors and augments the wines’ complexity. Such detailed attention to both vineyard and production techniques results in wines that are not only powerful and structured but also marked by their sophisticated elegance and notable longevity. This commitment firmly establishes Poggio Scalette as a producer of exceptional wines distinct in both character and quality.
Reputation
Poggio Scalette is a distinguished winery located in the Chianti Classico area of Tuscany, Italy. Established in the early 1990s by Vittorio Fiore and his wife Adriana, the winery quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality wines. Poggio Scalette stands out not just for its quality output but also for distinct elements that contribute to its prestigious standing in the wine world.
One of the unique aspects of Poggio Scalette is its location and the terroir of the vineyards. Situated up in the hills of Greve in Chianti, the vineyards benefit from an excellent microclimate and rich soil, ideal for growing Sangiovese grapes among others. The altitude provides significant diurnal temperature variation, which is conducive to producing grapes with balance, complexity, and aromatic intensity.
Poggio Scalette made a significant mark with its "Il Carbonaione" wine, which is a pure Sangiovese produced from vines that are purportedly from the original clone brought to Tuscany by the Medici family in the 18th century. The distinctiveness of the Il Carbonaione, deriving both from old vines and the specific clone used, contributes greatly to the winery's prestige. This wine showcases depth, complexity, and a unique character that encapsulates the historical and cultural essence of the region.
Another notable factor in Poggio Scalette’s success and unique appeal is Vittorio Fiore’s expertise as an enologist. His extensive experience and innovative techniques in winemaking have been crucial in ensuring that the wines maintain high quality, beautifully expressing the characteristics of the region's terroir.
In summary, Poggio Scalette’s reputation as a top-tier wine producer is supported by its advantageous geographic setting, the historical significance of its vineyard stocks, and the winemaking prowess of its founders. These components together have positioned it as a notable and respected name in the Italian wine industry.
Final Thoughts
Poggio Scalette, a distinguished wine producer based in the heart of Tuscany's Chianti Classico region, has carved a unique niche for itself with its exceptional approach to winemaking and its distinctive terroir. Established in the early 1990s by the visionary Vittorio Fiore and his wife Adriana Assjè di Marcorà, Poggio Scalette rapidly gained acclaim for its innovative single-vineyard Sangiovese, the Il Carbonaione. This wine, derived from old vines originally planted in 1928, is particularly noteworthy for its depth and complexity, showcasing the rich history embedded in the region's soils. What sets Poggio Scalette apart is its commitment to purity and expression of place, focusing on minimal intervention in both vineyard and cellar. This approach has not only consistently produced wines of high quality but also helped redefine the potential of Tuscan wine, earning Poggio Scalette both critical and commercial success on a global scale.