I remember when Andrea Cecchi called me some time ago and told me, very excitedly, that his family had purchased the Villa Rosa company from the Lucherini Bandini family, known for producing fine, elegant and very charming wines as Giulio Gambelli was used to making in this reality.
Villa Rosa is located among the hills of Castellina in Chianti over an area of 126 hectares of which 30 are vineyards and 15 are olive groves.
The soils are calcareous with a clayey matrix characterized by heterogeneous profiles that combine the Alberese-type rock in schistose marl.
The Chianti Classico Villa Rosa Gran Selection is produced in the “Casetto” vineyard on Cretaceous schistose limestone soil, known as galestro.
The company is located within one of the largest European cypress forests. The vineyards have an altitude ranging from 255 to 425 meters where the Lucherini Bandini family has cultivated Chianti Classico for 70 years, a period in which they were the owners.
It is said that Chianti Classico has always been produced in these vineyards. The year 1716 was the birth of Chianti Classico.
The Cecchi family wants to maintain the philosophy of those who preceded them, that is, to cultivate only Sangiovese grapes, making only two wines, a Chianti Classico D.O.C.G and the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione D.O.C.G.
I remember when in 2015 I went for the first time with friends to visit Andrea Cecchi in Castellina in Chianti and on that occasion I tasted the Gran Selezione 2015. I was amazed when I tasted it because I felt a fine, elegant and well-structured wine.
Normally Villa Rosa is a delicate and not powerful wine. That 2015, however, also had a particular structure, due to the vintage.
On that occasion we did a vertical tasting of Coevo wine and I remember that the 2015 particularly struck me and I judged it to be the best vintage of Coevo ever made up to that point. The first year of production was 2007.
The event was organized at the behest of Andrea Cecchi, and with the important help of Gianni Mercatali of Studio Mercatali s.r.l.
The vertical was held by Dr. Andrea Cecchi, managing director of Tenute Famiglia Cecchi, by Dr. Giovanni Zerini, responsible agronomist of Chianti Classico, Villa Cerna and Villa Rosa,
by Dr. Miria Bracali, production director and responsible winemaker of the entire Cecchi group and Dr. Luca Guiggiani, manager of Tenuta Villa Rosa. For the tasting, Doctor Bracali decided to start from the youngest vintage to get to the oldest. Normally for red wines I start from the oldest wine and work my way up to the youngest because the younger wine is more impetuous, has slightly livelier tannins as well as freshness.
Let’s now move on to describe the wines of the vertical from the youngest to the oldest, making a premise about tannins.
As regards the width of the tannin, it is important that you make the following clarifications, so that it can be understood. I feel the tannin of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, i.e. the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less wide, it could be for example 5/6 and so on. The width of the tannin is important when the quality of the same is of a good or high level. If the tannin is wider, the wine is more worthy of attention, but the tannin, as I specified, must in any case be of good quality.
Let us now describe the wines tasted.
VILLA ROSA
Gran Selezione Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., vintage 2019
The 2019 season had normal, regular weather conditions with a dry and cold winter. Fresh and rainy spring. June was a little rainy and allowed perfect growth of the vegetation and bunches.
From August to October the climatic conditions were excellent and allowed the Sangiovese to ripen perfectly.
The wine was aged in Tonneaux for 18 months, 12 months in cement and 6 months in the bottle.
The bottles produced were 6600.
Beautiful transparent ruby red.
The sense of smell highlights aromas of cherry, mint, eucalyptus, straw, raspberry, black pepper, nutmeg, violet, rosemary, sage, almond inside the confetti, Marisiglia soap to end with whispers of dried plum and chlorophyll.
From a gustatory point of view, the body is medium, delicate, sufficient, fine and elegant. Pleasant flavor and minerality. Well-balanced wine thanks to the pleasant freshness which, together with the minerality and tannins, completely dominate the alcoholic mass. The tannins are quite broad (5/6), sweet, very fine and silky.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long. Rich and varied nose and fine and elegant palate, perhaps lacking a little structure. (95/100)
VILLA ROSA
Gran Selezione Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., vintage 2018
Climatic conditions: regular winter, while in May there were frequent rains and temperatures slightly lower than usual. The summer was hot and dry, allowing the grapes to ripen optimally.
The refinement took place as for 2019. Only 2700 bottles were produced.
Transparent light garnet red.
Olfactory expression with hints of blackberries, cherry, mint, eucalyptus, straw, slight hints of nail polish, peanut and raspberry hard candy.
Upon tasting it reveals a marked acidity (more than that of 2019). The body is medium. Balanced wine between alcohol and freshness.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6–) thick, initially velvety and then dry the upper gum a little and become a little more central.
Its taste persistence is long. (92/100)
VILLA ROSA
Gran Selezione Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., vintage 2017
Seasonal trend: winter and spring were mild and budding came early. At the end of April there was a drop in temperatures which reduced production a little. The summer was dry accompanied by sunny days and above average temperatures. In September there was some rain which rebalanced the vegetative cycle of the vine and allowed the grapes to ripen well.
The refinement took place as for the 2019 and 2018 vintages.
It has a light and transparent garnet red appearance. On the nose there are fine and elegant aromas of black morello cherry, sweet almond, mint, eucalyptus, black pepper, nutmeg, straw, hard raspberry candy, hints of dried black fig, bay leaves, sage, hints of carob, dried plum and chlorophyll.
On the palate the body is medium sufficient plus.
Well-balanced wine with less acidity than 2018. The alcoholic mass is imperceptible thanks to the freshness and tannins that dominate it. The latter are sweet, quite wide (5/6-), slightly thick, initially velvety and then dry the upper gum a little.
Its taste persistence is long. (92–/100)
VILLA ROSA
Gran Selezione Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., vintage 2016
Seasonal trend: autumn and winter were mild and little rainy.
Spring had good weather and moderately cool temperatures. The summer until the end of August was hot, dry but without excessive heat peaks. The harvest months had rain alternating with long periods of sun and ventilation which allowed the grapes to ripen perfectly.
Aging 15 months in Tonneaux, 2 months in cement and one year in the bottle.
13000 bottles produced.
Transparent ruby-garnet red colour.
The sense of smell spreads aromas of natural tea, mint, eucalyptus, cherry, sweet almond, raspberry, rosemary, intense laurel and sage, ending with memories of chestnut boiled with wild fennel.
The taste has medium body and is savory and mineral. Good balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet and broad (6/6–) initially velvety and then slightly burn the upper gum.
Boiled chestnut flavour, already felt by smell. Its taste persistence is long. Overall pleasant wine. (94/100)
VILLA ROSA
Gran Selezione Chianti Classico D.O.C.G., vintage 2015
Seasonal trend: the winter was cold and relatively dry. Spring had humid weather in March and April and dry weather in May and June. The summer was hot with a particularly hot July, with perfect temperature variations between day and night. In August it continued to be hot but there was some rainfall which favored the optimal ripening of the grapes.
Refinement as for 2016.
13000 bottles produced
Ruby red color with light, transparent garnet.
From the glass rise aromas of red apple, cherry, raspberry, mint, eucalyptus, almond and finally you can enjoy a very pleasant red rose.
Pleasant sip. The acidity is rich but is accompanied by a well-present body. Flavors of cherry and light dried plum. Well-balanced wine with freshness and tannins that dominate the alcoholic mass without second thoughts. The tannins are sweet, thick, broad (6/6–) and velvety.
Its flavor persistence is long with a finish of dried plum and hints of black pepper.
Beautiful wine! I have many expectations for 2019 and the rating I gave to this wine testifies to this. (95/100)
Subsequently we were made to taste the 2020 vintage coming from the barrel and the 2021 coming from the cement.
Followed by the 2022 coming from the cement and the one coming from the barrel.
It consisted of tastings to understand the current state of wines with different breeding origins. The final assemblies will follow over time.
Following this there was a pleasant lunch at the “Foresteria Villa Cerna” restaurant, where we tasted fine traditional Tuscan dishes accompanied with the pleasant wines produced by the Cecchi family.
