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.

The Estate vineyard Vigneto San Marcellino is 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 Sangiovese perfectly. Soils combine Albanese (limestone) and Galestro (schist) with clay. This wine is a selection of older vines from a 17-acre vineyard near the Pieve di San Marcellino, an eleventh-century Romanesque church.

Hand-harvested. Sangiovese and Pugnitello fermented separately on indigenous yeasts in upright wooden fermentation tanks. Aged for 25 months in French oak (Allier) barrels (70%) and tonneaux (30%), with 25% new, 20% three-year and 55% four-year wood. Aged in bottle for a minimum of 24 months. Deeply nuanced and elegant; plum, dark cherries, smoke, tobacco. Pairing suggestions are grilled steak, aged Pecorino, or osso buco.