~ Villa Rosa is the Cecchi Family Estate in Castellina in Chianti which produces Gran Selezione ~
Earlier this month, I had an exclusive opportunity to sit down with Andrea Cecchi and some of his team members to conduct a vertical tasting of the Villa Rosa Gran Selezione. Although I had prior experience with these wines, this tasting was eye opening.
Five wines were presented during the course of the tasting. I took detailed notes while Andrea shared his unique insight about the wines and a variety of other topics.
Estate Background
Andrea Cecchi acquired the Villa Rosa Estate in June of 2014. For over 70 years the property was farmed by the Bandini family who sold the grapes to producers across Chianti. As a result, the vineyards were in good condition and 2015 was the first vintage Andrea produced.
The estate spans 34 hectares in total. 27 are used in the production of Ribaldoni Chianti Classico while the Gran Selezione comes from a 4 hectare single vineyard called “Casetto”. Both of the wines are 100% Sangiovese.
How is Villa Rosa different from Cecchi’s older estate, Villa Cerna, which is also located in Castellina? According to Andrea, they are very different. “At Villa Rosa, the aim was always 100% Sangiovese. I wanted to show case the elegance of Castellina and the soil. The soil is very different here Giovanni and the altitude is higher, at least at Vigna Casetto.” Indeed, the Gran Selezione vineyard sits at 425 meters above sea level; it is one of the highest points in Castellina. The soils are of ancient plyocean origin and that results in a dusty, minerality that punctuates the wines. The soil at Villa Cerna contains much more clay. “It’s interesting Giovanni because the two estates are only 8 kilometers apart and although it takes 25 minutes to drive it, they could not be more different.”
~ Vigna Casetto sits at the apex of a hill and is surrounded by forest. It creates a unique microclimate for the Villa Rosa Sangiovese ~
The Tasting – Villa Rosa Gran Selezione
Prior to beginning the tasting, we discussed the basic facts of the wine. All vintages of Villa Rosa Gran Selezione are 100% Sangiovese and organically farmed. With the exception of the 2015 (13.5%) all of the wines are 14% abv. Average production is 6,000-7,000 bottles per vintage. About 2,000 of those find their way to the US. I used a Coravin to taste the wines and drew large samples about an hour before the tasting began. In evaluating the wines, it was clear that they all need at least that much air time.
~ The wines were prepared one hour before the tasting. Left to Right: 2015, 2016, 2017 ~
2015 Villa Rosa Gran Selezione – This is dark ruby in color that barely fades at the edge of the bowl. This is shy on the nose even with the head start. Needs more air. Big black cherry, sweet tobacco, cypress and chocolate aromas emerge with swirling. On the palate this is elegant but structured. Flavors of dark cherry, toasted spices and powdered tannins remain juicy and crisp. Full body but the grip is significant. This one is built more for meat, but I am digging it. 95 points.
2016 Villa Rosa Gran Selezione – Very similar color to the 2015. This is also more open aromatically right from the start. Red berries, fennel and baking spices mark the attractive nose. Red berries, tobacco leaf, dried herbs and cypress dominate in the mouth. This is juicy and more tannic than the 2015. But this is mouthwatering and fresh. Love it! 93 points.
2017 Villa Rosa Gran Selezione – This is the first vintage that was markedly different in style. Andrea explained that production was significantly lower due to the frosts that year. I remember them well. Andrea lost over 40% of his production. Medium ruby, a bit lighter in color than the first two wines. Yet this is the most aromatic of the three. Red cherry, eucalyptus, cypress and sweet herbs mark the nose. Ripe cherry fruit on the palate is fresh and lively. Sapid, with menthol and fennel notes marking the finish. This is ready to drink. 92 points.
~ 2019 and 2020 are very special but need some patience ~
The conversation meandered back to the herb and woodsy notes prevalent in each of the wines thus far. “That is the microclimate Giovanni, the wood. You can see from the picture that the vineyard is surrounded by wood and there are oaks, pines, cypress, holms…they protect from harsh winds but their influence is also felt. You can see it. You can taste it.”
2019 Villa Rosa Gran Selezione – This is a deep bright ruby in the glass. Perhaps the most shy on the nose. This really needs more air than one hour. Dried herbs and smoke on the nose with cherries and powdery dust. As shy as the nose is, the wine is wonderful in the mouth. Tannic and long, with wild cherry and dusty minerality. Moreso than any other vintage, this wine needs time. Sweet, ripe fruit finish. Set this one aside until 2027 – this has great potential. 93 points.
2020 Villa Rosa Gran Selezione – Dark ruby with crimson highlights. Hints of cypress, menthol and iris mark the nose with bright red cherry notes framing all. Gorgeous in the mouth with loads of ripe cherry fruit, fennel and toasted pipe tobacco. Silky tannins throughout. This is a stunning Gran Selezione that tastes and smells like Chianti. I love this. 96 points.
Since all the Villa Rosa Gran Selezione vintages will be grouped together, you may begin your search here: Find These Wines. They are excellent values in the category.
Vintage & Climatic Conditions
At this point, we were joined by Miria Bracali, Andrea’s Chief Agronomist at Villa Cerna and Villa Rosa. I asked her what she thought about the “trio” of vintages 2020-2022 and how they compared. Her feeling was that 2020 and 2021 are definitely the better two vintages of the three. This is partly because 2022 had its issues with Spring frost and then drought conditions through the Summer.
~ All of the vineyards on the Villa Rosa Estate. Note the isolation in the woods and the altitude of Vigna Casetto ~
The team at Cecchi created a presentation for the event which included various details about the wines and vintage characteristics. I’ve included those below.
2015
The climate trend in 2015 was extremely regular in the Chianti Classico and Villa Rosa areas. The cold and relatively dry winter preceded a spring characterized by a humid climate in the months of March and April and dry in May and June. The summer was hot, with a peak in July and excellent temperature variations between day and night. The month of August, also hot, was characterized by some rainfall which favored the optimal ripening of the Sangiovese grapes.
2016
After having recorded a generally mild and little rainy autumn and winter, the spring of 2016 began at Villa Rosa under the banner of good weather, favoring an advance in budding by approximately 8-10 days compared to the historical average. Starting from the month of May and following in the first half of June, rainfall and averagely cool temperatures were recorded. The summer until the end of August was hot, dry and without heat peaks. The harvest months were regular, with some rainy events alternating with long periods of sun and ventilation which guaranteed an ideal maturation path for the Sangiovese.
2017
The 2017 vintage was characterized at Villa Rosa by a winter and spring that were generally mild and capable of determining an earlier bud break. In the last days of April we witnessed a sudden drop in temperatures which caused a significant reduction in production. The summer was characterized by a generally dry period accompanied by sunny days and above-average temperatures. The September rains allowed the vegetative cycle of the vine to be rebalanced, ensuring good ripening of the Sangiovese grapes.
2019
The seasonal trend in 2019 was characterized by very regular climatic conditions. Winter has tended to be cold and without excessive rainfall. The spring was rainy and the regular rains lasted until June, with mild temperatures that favoured a balanced growth of vegetation and bunches. The summer months did not show excessive temperatures and the ripening of the grapes was very optimal. The harvest took place regularly from September 10 to October 13.
2020
The season started for Sangiovese with the flowering indicatively in the second half of April, relatively homogeneous in all vineyards even at different altitudes and exposures, helped by a cool and not torrid spring. The season continued very linearly, with regular rains during development and followed by a hot and long summer characterized by important temperature changes between day and night. The season allowed the vine to vegetate without any problems due to extreme temperatures and lack of water. The harvest for Sangiovese began in the first decade of September and ended in the middle of October. The impression we had was that the 2020 harvest would have been of exceptional quality and balance.
Finalmente….
To close, I will leave it to Andrea to express his vision of the Villa Rosa project in his own words.
“Giovanni, I always wanted Villa Rosa to be my project. Something very dear to me. Now, we are replanting some of the vineyards to make even better wines. But Villa Rosa will always focus on elegance and my traditional vision of what Gran Selezione from Castellina is about.
The purchase of Villa Rosa in 2014 was a very important decision for me, inspired by the introduction of Gran Selezione as the highest quality standard within the Chianti Classico appellation. Since the very first harvest we immediately realized that the finest, most elegant, and enduring expression of our Sangiovese comes from the Casetto vineyard. That’s why we decided to dedicate production entirely to this vineyard, selecting only the very best parcels for our Gran Selezione. Over the years, we’ve focused on maximizing the potential of the terroir, with minimal intervention in the cellar.”
While this article has focused on the Gran Selezione, I must also add that the Chianti Classic Ribaldoni is exceptional and an amazing value. If you come across either of these wines, have no trepidation about trying them.
Salute!
