When it comes to quality Sangiovese and Chianti Classico wines you can trust, Cecchi, pronounced “Check-ee”, has always been one that I respected. When I first started meeting folks in the industry and getting to learn about wine I met Andrea Cecchi, one of the 4th generation family members along with his brother Cesare that run the winery today. This month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group (#ItalianFWT) hosted by Liz of What’s In That Bottle? takes us through a cavalcade of Chianti along with my feature of Cecchi today.
The Winery ~ Cecchi
Luigi Cecchi established the Cecchi winery in 1893. He was a professional wine taster and served
as a wine consultant to surrounding wineries.
In the 1930’s he began exporting his wines around the world and it wasn’t
until the 1970’s until their headquarters were established in Castellina in
Chianti, one of the communes of Chianti Classico. The Cecchi brand begin to expand their territories
in the 80’s in 90’s into the Maremma of southern Tuscany where they produce
Morellino and San Gimignano in the heart of Tuscany known for Vernaccia. In 2000 they crossed borders into Umbria
acquiring land to produce Sagrantino.
You can find the expanded variety of their wines in these additional
territories under the labels Tenuta Alzatura, Val delle Rose, Castello Montauto,
Villa Cerna and Villa Rosa.
Although the Cecchi winery is a large enterprise that
occupies 950 acres producing about 8.5 million bottles annually, they have
always had an eye for the future with respecting the traditions of the
past. Their focus on finding ways to
provide minimal environmental impacts in order to preserve their habitat and
the natural resources available as well as energy consumption. In the 2000’s, due to the lacky of water, Cecchi
was the first Tuscany business that built sewage treatment facilities to reduce
energy consumption and recycle and purify water. They now utilize three of these systems at
their Cecchi winery, Val della Rose and Villa Cerna. They received the Eco Efficient prize for
this development.
As time progresses they continue to increase their vines
that are certified organically currently at about 570 acres with a few of their
wineries certified in the both the cellar and production facilities. They continue to experiment new clones,
technologies and ways of farming and operating their vineyards.
The Wines
I received as samples a couple of their Chianti Classico
wines until the ‘Storia di Famiglia’ line of wines that is a celebration of the
history of the Cecchi family. The 2020
Cecchi Chianti Classico Storia di Familigia DOCG is more than just your every
day wine. It’s produced in the
traditional style, fresh and clean. Made
of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Colorino and Canaiolo this wine spends 12 months in
wood casks with 2+ months in the bottle.
Ruby red in color with garnet hues the glass gives out those classic
cherry aromas. Medium-bodied and tart
cherry notes on the palate with a hint of leather this wine is very
well-balanced with a silky finish. ABV
13.5% SRP $27
2015 Andrea claims is one of the best vintages in 20 years with great aging potential and balance per an article I read written by John Mariani in Forbes. Their 2015 Cecchi Chianti Classico Riserva Storia di Familigia DOCG represents the quality and purity of Sangiovese that Cecchi produces only in the best vintages. Made of 90% Sangiovese with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blended. This wine spends 12 months in oak casks with over a year in the bottle.
The color was garnet with tinges of brick on the rim. The aromas of this wine were earthy and savory. As crazy as this sounds something about this wine smelled of a mushroom, beef stew. Medium-bodied with cherry and tobacco notes along with elegant tannins backed by some juicy acidity. A more layered Chianti Classico compared to the prior shared. ABV 13% SRP $48
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Since it was a weekend when I was tried these wines I felt like some homemade meatballs and sauce, or gravy as some may call it, was in order. Nothing like food for the soul!
Join the Italian food and wine lovers as they share their selections and pairings with Sangiovese this Saturday at 11am EST on Twitter @ #ItalianFWT. I'll be enjoying some family vacation time, but I hope you can jump on in and join in the conversation.
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm shares A Classic Italian Pairing
- Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla provides Cucina Povera and Two Bottles of Chianti Classico
- Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles discusses Wines of Family with Chianti Classico from Famiglia Cecchi and a Tuscan Style Ragu
- Cindy of Grape Experiences talks about At I Veroni in Chianti Rufina, Elegance and Balance Characterize Its Wines
- Linda of My Full Wine Glass serves Chianti Classico and spaghetti to warm the body and soul
- Jeff of FoodWineClick! writes about Rufina: One Straw in the Chianti Haystack
- Katarina of Grapevine Adventures shows how 3 Chianti DOCG Wines Show the Potential of 3 Different Suzones
- Liz of What’s in that Bottle? has Two Chianti Wines for Fall
- Gwendolyn of Wine Predator serves up Fall Flavors: 2 Cecchi Chianti Classico Paired With Instant Pot Bolognese
- Susannah of Avvinare posts Cecchi Family, A Piece of Tuscan History