Vineyards Magazine

Badia di Morrona’s silk-smooth Sangiovese

To truly experience the pleasantness conveyed by the Sangiovese grown by Badia di Morrona, an estate that languidly extends over the hills of Pisa, all one has to do is uncork a bottle of I SODI DEL PARETAIO Chianti Riserva. 

Fragrant notes of ripe berryfruit and wild herbs pour out, while a velvety tannic weave and sea-brine finish convey a light-hearted feeling, and its firm body and intense sip beautifully heighten the flavours of traditional dishes.  

The multi-layered complexity of this winery’s standard-bearer is due to its broad, comprehensive reflection of the vineyard exposures and diversity of the estate soils. 

Badia di Morrona grows its wines on 110 hectares of vineyards, more than half of which are dedicated to Tuscany’s sovereign grape variety. The vines, surrounded by woods of cypress, holm and pedunculate oaks, ascend the gently-rolling hills between the towns of Terricciola and Casciana Terme Lari.

Contributing to its uniqueness as a “geological treasure” are its soils, predominantly rock-poor clay alternating with sand, stones, friable grey rock, river cobbles, and alberese marl, as well as fossils, evidence of the ancient presence of the sea, and even slabs of travertine thrusting up to the surface.   

In 2021, the winemaking team produced I SODI Riserva in only a limited quantity due to the challenging initial period of the growing year, but the quality of the grapes turned out to be quite impressive. 

The weather in late September and early October brought good day-night temperature differentials, which allowed the Sangiovese to achieve optimal sugar and phenolic levels, and the grapes arrived in the cellar sound and healthy.  

I SODI DEL PARETAIO Chianti Riserva ferments in steel, then spends 18 months in large 44hl French oak ovals; it is bottled following a brief stay in concrete vats.  

I SODI DEL PARETAIO Chianti Riserva 2021 is being released in Italy and markets abroad.