Chianti Classico deep dive (11) Badia a Coltibuono
Website: www.coltibuono.com
Badia a Coltibuono is a historic estate in Chianti Classico dating back to the middle ages. The abbey on which the current property is based dates to 1051, and the bell tower in the medieval courtyard is from the 1700s. The abbey was secularized by Napoleon in 1810. We visited with Roberto Stucchi Prinetti.
The Guitini family (ancestors of the current owners, the Stucchi Prinettis) bought the property in 1846. The current vineyard is in two parts of this heavily forested estate (700 ha of forests, at an altitude of around 600 m), with 63 ha in Monti and 9 ha in Vaglialgi. They have been organic for a long time, certified since 2002. The certify with the Delinat guidelines, which is one of the strictest. It’s a private company that sells organic wines to private customers, and in the 1980s they made their own guidelines. It includes biodiversity guidelines, and sounds really interesting. They are now pushing for agroforestry.
In 2023 they used more copper than is allowed, 5 kg/ha. Normally they would use below 2 jg/ha but this was a bad year. They are well equipped for most years but not this one: it takes them 2.5 days to spray everything. ‘Unfortunately, this was an unprecedented year: there were days and days when the grapes were continuously wet. We have learned a lot.’
They’d like to use a roller crimper but the cover crop needs to grow to a certain size for this to work. They make a compost with stems chopped up with some marc and then sometimes some sheep manure. It ferments nicely.
THE WINES
RS Cultusboni Chianti Classico 2021
This is just Sangiovese with very little oak ageing from a number of areas. 80 000 bottle production. Bright, vivid with nice spicy detail and notes of gravel, spice and tar. Nicely wild and expressive with lovely fruit intensity and a viovid, spicy, grainy finish. Really delicious in quite a forward style, capturing the essence of Sangiovese. 92/100
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2021
13.5% alcohol. Traditional blend based on Sangiovese with the other traditional varieties: they maintain the blend even though it isn’t that fashionable. Half from massale selection. In 1985/1986 they selected material from 600 mother vines and used this to replant much of the estate. Wild yeast from a pied de cuve, and then working with gravity. Juicy, linear and fresh with a subtle hint of mint, with lovely grippy structure and some dusty, dry notes framing the berry fruits. Good structure and freshness, and nice grip. Classical in style but very good. 93/100
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 2011
15% alcohol. Notes of earth, spice, cherries and some subtle woody hints. The palate is rich and powerful with cherries and plums, showing appealing evolution. 93/100
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 2018
14% alcohol. Lovely aromatics here: raspberry and cherry fruit with nice purity and elegance. Fresh palate with fine red fruit quality here. Perfumed, light, elegant and fine. Roses, dried herbs and minerals with a sense of precision. A lighter style that’s very pure and fine, showing lovely purity and elegance. 95/100
Badia a Coltibuono Cultus Chianti Classico Riserva 2018
15% alcohol. Started making this in 2001. 80% Sangiovese, a bit riper, then 20% of complementary varieties (eight of them). Aged in barriques instead of casks, but well used. Ripe, dense, polished and quite modern, with sleek ripe berry fruits, some subtle spicy woody notes. Grippy and intense. Has power. 93/100
Badia a Coltibuono Montebello 2018 IGT Toscana
15.5% alcohol. This is the nine varieties used in the Cultus with equal parts of each, all aged in barrel. Assembled after a year in barrique then goes to cask for six months. The future might be to do these all together as a field blend, now that they have the hang of the varieties. This is ripe but well defined with notes of herbs and spices as well as sweet cherry and berry fruits. Has some grainy, spicy character with some dried herbs, and also a hint of wood. Sweet fruit but also with some grainy, spicy characters. The high alcohol brings the tannins forward in the mix, but also adds a touch of sweetness. 94/100
Badia a Coltibuono Vinsanto de Chianti Classico 2014
15.5% alcohol. They use larger barrels for this: barriques that have been used. They want less of the oxidation and concentration that the smaller barrels bring. Trebbiano plus Malvasia, plus small amounts of other varieties. 190 g/l rs. Orange/brown in colour. This is intense, vibrant, spicy and grippy with some lifted acidity. Juicy with almonds and honey, apricots and lime, and lovely spiciness, with persimmon on the finish. Really beautiful and very complex. 95/100
Badia a Coltibuono Occhio di Pernice 2008
13% alcohol. Just Sangiovese, with barriques and just a few half barrels. Squeeze in basket press and leave it for 2 days skin contact. Typically with vin santo you put it on the old lees. They clean the old lees and reactivate them before adding the wine to the barrel. Complex aromas with spice, raisins, honey and tar, as well as a touch of apricot. The palate is very sweet and rich with lovely density and notes of polished furniture. So bold, rich and complex. 96/100
