Chianti’s exceptions

That of Chianti is too large an appellation to succeed in creating homogeneous product categories recognizable by consumers. We are pleased to bring you two Pisan Chianti wines (a Riserva and a Superiore) that break away from the magnum sea of undifferentiated proposals found on supermarket shelves and speak of quality.

The life of Chianti producers is a difficult one. Not more than a week ago came a statement from the Chianti Wine Consortium announcing a 10 percent reduction in yields to cope with declining sales and rising costs. "It became necessary," declared Consortium President Giovanni Busi, "to decrease production in order not to increase the wine accumulated in the warehouses. The current picture is this and it speaks of a -14% drop in sales in 2022 compared to 2021 so we have to take the right countermeasures. If we talk about the price-cost ratio there is a heavy imbalance due to inflation. It is true that prices have risen by an average of 4-6%, but it is also true that costs have risen much more, ranging from the increase in the price of diesel for tractors through fertilizer. All this for our farms represents a great difficulty. In practice, we have not experienced a 'normal' year since 2017: the alarm has been sounding for some time for the entire sector."

Because it is clear that if sales fall, it is imperative not to increase inventories.

Fortunately, there are Chianti wineries that despite being linked to the appellation do not suffer if only marginally from these problems, and this is mainly due to the high quality of the wines they offer. We are talking about two wineries located in the Pisan Hills, Badia di Morrona, in Tericciola, and Fattoria Uccelliera, in Crespina.

Badia di Morrona is an estate of considerable size and beauty (in total about 550 hectares, of which one hundred are planted with vines and about forty with olive trees), located between Pisa and Volterra, with the ancient complex inside, first Benedictine and then Camaldolese. Filippo Gaslini Alberti is at the helm of the winery, and compared to his father's management we can see a better definition of the fruit in the wines, aided by greater attention in the vineyard and the completion of the cellar. Also completed is the modern oil mill, adding to the quality production.

Also in the Pisan hills, straddling the municipalities of Fauglia and Lorenzana, Fattoria Uccelliera covers a total of 240 hectares, 15 of which are planted with vines and six with olive trees; the rest is characterized by tall woods and arable land. The fruit of the work of Antonio Bulleri and Maria Elena Poggianti since 1960, the farm benefits from the work of the entire family, with the second generation at work, Tiziana front woman, and the forthcoming entry of the third generation. Along with wine and extra virgin olive oil, they produce honey, products with truffles, and liqueurs. There is no shortage of agritourism activities, to which several farmhouses within the property have been dedicated.

• Badia di Morrona, Chianti Riserva I Sodi del Paretaio 2021
• Fattoria Uccelliera, Chianti Superiore 2021

To read the wine sheet, click on the name.

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