Riecine, Bianco Di Riecine, Chianti, IGT, Tuscany, Italy, 2021

Producer Profile

Riecine has always followed a pioneering path, defining a new style and approach in this classic region.

Founded by Englishman John Dunkley, and today run by the Frank family, the estate is committed to a natural approach in winemaking. Certified organic and following biodynamic processes, the land is gently nurtured with plants, flowers, and grasses encouraged to flourish. This is to promote vineyard diversity and the health of the land. Closely monitored pickers select only the best, ripest and cleanest bunches from the vines; everything else remains in the fields to return to the earth. With winemaking in the skilled hands of Alessandro Campatelli, low sulphur additions, natural yeasts and long fermentation are de rigeur, as wines are gently coaxed into the world. Adhering strictly to the belief in Sangiovese and indigenous varietals, these incredible wines are honest examples of that overused phrase 'a true sense of place'.

Viticulture

Grapes are sourced from the estate’s oldest plots, around 55 years old, from several rows of Trebbiano vines planted in the middle of a mostly Sangiovese vineyard. Since 2020 they have been vinified separately to create a traditional white wine of the region. Cultivated using organic agriculture since 2006, with organic pesticide, sulphur and copper used only when necessary and green manure to preserve the integrity of the soil.

Winemaking

Trebbiano grapes are harvested in September and placed in ‘cocciopesto’ amphora for fermentation and then left to macerate until December. In December, part of the wine is transferred to a new French oak tonneau and the remainder left in an amphora to continue maceration with 50% of the skins. In April the final blend is created in amphora tanks, with the wine remaining in bottle for a further 4 months before release.

Tasting Note

A wine with a beautiful golden colour and aromas of lemon and orange peel, pomelo pith, chamomile, dried flowers and salted plums. Medium-bodied with a distinct salinity and gastronomic profile.

Food Matching

Highly gastronomic and pairs well with oriental cuisine, yet with enough delicacy and elegance to match risotto with truffle, ceviche or more traditional Italian flavours.

Awards