San Giusto a Rentennano

Originally a medieval monastery, the estate is situated in the southernmost part of Chianti Classico wine region and comprises 160 hectares – with 31 dedicated to vineyards, 11 to olives and the remaining made up of forest and agricultural land.

The Martini di Cigala family took over the property in 1914 and it has remained in the family ever since. Since 1992, it’s been in the hands of the family’s third generation, Anna, Lucia, Elisabetta, Francesco, Alessandro and Luca.

The success of the wines is due to a combination of factors: low yields, meticulous care in the selection of berries, the vineyard’s high diurnal temperature shift, as well as a no-expense-spared approach to the wine’s élevage – with both Percarlo and La Ricolma aged in the finest French barriques.

The first bottling of their Chianti Classico Riserva was the 1975 vintage, later named Le Baròncole (from the 2000 vintage onwards). The first vintage of Percarlo was 1983 and the first La Ricolma was made in 1993. The estate also makes a Chianti Classico, a Rosato and a Vin Santo, as well as their own olive oil.

The 31 hectares of vineyards have been managed organically since 2001, certified from 2006. The estate also uses its own compost as a natural fertilizer in the vineyards. 

A green harvest is carried out during July and August, reducing the crop by anything from 20 to 50% to increase concentration in the remaining fruit. The Sangiovese grapes destined for Percarlo come from the finest zones within the vineyards, often picked later for additional concentration. The diurnal shift helps the fruit retain acidity. 

All the grapes are hand-picked, with the finest bunches of Sangiovese selected and separated, destined for the Percarlo cuvée. The Merlot for La Ricolma is grown in five separate plots planted with the same clone (181). A small percentage of the Canaiolo variety is also grown and represents 3 to 5% of the Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva blends.

Grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats with indigenous yeasts. The wines are macerated on their skins for around 14 to 18 days before racking prior to élevage.

Percarlo and La Ricolma are matured in 225-litre French oak barriques for 20 to 22 months, while the Chianti Classico is matured in larger 500-litre tonneaux oak casks for 10 to 12 months. The Chianti Classico Riserva Baròncole is aged 16 to 20 months in French oak with an additional six months’ ageing in bottle prior to release.