ASSAI CHIANTI CLASSICO
GRAN SELEZIONE D.O.C.G.

The Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is the new top-level typology of Chianti Classico wine’s appellations, making up only about 6% of the total Chianti Classico wine production. For regulation, this wine is produced only from a selection of the estate’s best grapes and must be aged for a minimum of 30 months, including 3 months of bottle aging. To be a Gran Selezione, this Chianti Classico follows the strictest standards of chemical parameters, reaching outstanding organoleptic characteristics, recognized and approved only after a blind tasting by a special committee of expert winemakers.

Terroir:
U.G.A. Vagliagli, Municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena).
Lat 43°24’16’’ N – Long 11°21’37’’ E
Chianti Classico south area – 480 meters above sea level (1574 ft.). 
Southern exposure.
Mediterranean climate, windy and sunny, stony soil on Macigno, with portions of ‘Galestro’ and ‘Alberese’.

Grapes:
Sangiovese 100 %. 
Organic grapes. From a single, estate vineyard, fifteen years old.

Average production:
4.500 bottles (750 ml).

Consultan:
Agronomist Ruggero Mazzilli
Wine Maker Enrico Paternoster

Wine certification:
Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico.
Organic wine (I.C.E.A. organic certification, EU only).
OK kosher certification (USA), kosher for Passover, ‘not mevushal’.

Harvest:
This wine is produced exclusively if the climate local condition permits the grapes to reach perfect ripeness, in terms of sugar content and phenolic complexity. The grapes are selected specifically for this wine at harvest, from a vineyard with low production, not more than 35 quintals of grapes per hectare (2,47 acres). The grapes are harvested by hand only, in 20 kg baskets, and quickly transferred into the de-stemmer and crusher machine.

Wine-Making:
All the wine-making processes are done with the control of the temperature and pressure produced in fermentation. After the fermentation, this wine continues to be maintained with peels for a period of maceration During racking, filtration takes place by draining, without passing in the winepress.

Aging took place for 30 months of which 24 months were in medium-toasted French oak barrels (Tonneaux). This wine is also aged for three months in the bottle before release.

Wine description:
From the organoleptic viewpoint, in general, the Gran Selezione has a great structure that, for its provenience, gives superior balance and harmony, depth of flavor, and aromatic complexity, all under the unmistakable “Sangiovese” signature. On the palate, it combines the immediacy of fruit with the fascinating nuances, typical of wines that take a long to evolve.

As an excellent expression of a wine made only with Sangiovese grapes, ASSAI is a full-bodied wine with an intense ruby color. During aging in French oak barrels, it reached richness, complexity, and the right balance of taste and smell. It is a pleasantly intense wine, fruity and spicy, slightly balsamic on the nose, smooth, consistent, and persistent in the mouth.

Serving suggestions:
This wine combines perfectly with elaborate meat and game dishes or aged cheeses. This wine can be preserved in the bottle for years, then it is recommended to aerate it before being served.