Producer >
Based in Cortona, not far from Siena, Santa Cristina winery has been producing traditional chianti styles for earlier drinking since 1946. Softer extraction and more fruit driven wines, means these offer great value and approachability early on. The focus of the estate has always been to produce wines that show the link between the vineyard, terroir and man’s work. Their continued focus is to preserve the quality and accessibility of the wines from this estate.
Viticulture >
This Cortona estate dates back to very ancient times with the town being one of the most influential Etruscan settlements of its time and that dominated the fertile Chiana valley. From its altitude of 585 meters above sea level, Cortona`s geological origins can essentially be ascribed to the early Miocene, the late Pliocene, and the Miocene eras. The territory is complex with sandstone, shale, and marl and deposits of clay, and scree. There is some limestone too which offers excellent balance with respect to its varying make-up of clay, silt, and coarse and fine sand.
Winemaking >
The Procanico and Grechetto grapes were picked separately and were then given a soft an delicate destemming and pressing. The resulting must was chilled to a temperature of 50° Fahrenheit (10°) to assist a natural static settling of impurities and then went into stainless steel tanks, where it fermented at a temperature held to a maximum of 64° Fahrenheit (18° centigrade). The wine was then held in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 50° Fahrenheit. The preparation of the wine in small lots prior to bottling maintained a notable freshness and fragrance.
CLIMATE
The 2022 growing season began with mild winter weather and very limited precipitation. These dry conditions continued throughout spring with higher-than-average temperatures that prompted early bud break. The summer months, especially June and July, brought a long stretch of hot, sunny and dry weather that pushed grapes to early maturity. A summer storm at the end of August provided the vines with much needed relief from water stress and allowed Grechetto and Procanico di reach optimal ripeness while maintaining freshness and ideal aromatic profiles.
FERMENTATION AND AGING
Procanico and Grechetto grape varieties were harvested separately, brought to the cellars for destemming and then gently pressed. The must was chilled to a temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) to favor natural clarification. The must was then transferred into temperature controlled stainless steel tanks where alcoholic fermentation took place at a temperature that did not exceed 18 °C (64 °F). The wine was aged in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) up until bottling.