Podere il Palazzino, Chianti Classico Grosso Sanese 1998

Podere il Palazzino Chianti Classico Grosso Sanese 1998 is a beautifully mature expression of Sangiovese from the very heart of Tuscany. Sourced exclusively from the estate’s best vineyards and crafted in a traditional style, this wine shows how gracefully top Chianti Classico can evolve over decades. The 1998 vintage is now fully developed, revealing a seamless balance of structure, freshness and layered complexity that speaks both of place and time.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this 1998 Grosso Sanese shows a deep garnet core fading to brick-orange at the rim, a classic sign of a well-aged Sangiovese. The nose opens with refined aromas of ripe and dried red fruits – think sour cherry and dried cranberry – alongside leather, tobacco leaf and wild Mediterranean herbs. Subtle floral notes of violet and hints of forest floor, dried rose and a touch of balsamic complexity add further nuance. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied yet wonderfully resolved, with silky, polished tannins and a vibrant but fully integrated acidity that keeps everything fresh and lifted. Flavours of macerated cherry, dried red berries and savoury spice unfold gradually, supported by earthy tones, balsamic hints and a gentle minerality that lingers on a long, persistent finish. While this 1998 is at a beautiful peak of maturity and offers great drinking pleasure now, well-stored bottles still have the vitality to hold and evolve for a few more years, gaining even more tertiary nuance rather than additional power.

Production
The grapes for Grosso Sanese come from Podere il Palazzino’s prime parcels in the Chianti Classico zone, situated around 450 metres above sea level. Here, warm days and cool nights help the Sangiovese develop intense aromatics and a finely etched acidity, while the galestro and limestone soils contribute marked minerality and a refined tannic backbone. The vineyards are farmed organically and in a low-intervention, nature-focused style, with careful manual harvesting to ensure only perfectly ripe, healthy clusters are brought to the cellar. Fermentation is carried out in a traditional manner with extended skin contact to extract colour, tannins and aromatic compounds in a measured, balanced way. The wine is then aged for up to 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks, which impart minimal overt oak flavour while allowing slow, gentle oxygenation. After cask aging, the wine rests further in bottle before release, ensuring it reaches the market with harmony and early approachability, while still having the structure to age gracefully.

Food & Serving
This mature Chianti Classico is a superb partner for refined Tuscan-inspired dishes and hearty, savoury cuisine. Think classic Bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-braised lamb shanks, wild game birds, osso buco, or pasta with rich ragùs based on beef, veal or wild boar. Aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Toscano or mature Manchego also make excellent companions, as do earthy mushroom dishes and truffle-based recipes. Serve at around 18 °C in generous Burgundy or large Bordeaux-style glasses to allow the aromas to fully unfold. Given the wine’s age, a gentle, short decant of 30–45 minutes can help it open up and shed any initial bottle notes, but avoid overly vigorous aeration to preserve its delicate, evolved nuances.

Producer
Podere il Palazzino is a small, family-run estate in the heart of Chianti Classico, known among discerning wine lovers for its artisanal approach and commitment to expressing the character of Sangiovese and its terroir. Over the years, the estate has embraced organic and nature-friendly farming, working by hand in the vineyards to respect the land and the vines. Within the Chianti Classico region, Podere il Palazzino has built a reputation for producing ageworthy, classically styled wines that combine authenticity, elegance and depth rather than chasing trends. Cuvées like Grosso Sanese underscore the winery’s dedication to low-intervention, traditional vinification and long oak aging in large casks, resulting in bottles that stand as benchmarks for thoughtful, terroir-driven Chianti Classico.

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