The 2022 Chianti Classico is a lovely wine from Volpaia

The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is fabulous.

—Antonio Galloni, Vinous
 
The tiny, high-altitude village of Radda has become a darling of Chianti drinkers. Their passion feels a little like the excitement Burgundy-lovers often express for Chambolle Musigny: “The wines are so aromatic!” “They’re minerally and terroir-focussed, but most of all, utterly delicious!”

And we agree! But Chambolle-Musigny is an ancient and revered name. How did Radda get to be so talked about?

It started with some famous growers, Montevertine above all, whose legendary Il Pergole Torte introduced the village to wine lovers around the world. But it goes beyond association with any one famous producer.

First, of course, is the terroir. Radda is very high (Volpaia’s winery is 2,000 fasl) and full of steep, perfectly exposed slopes of sandstone, limestone, and clay. So it manages to balance the Tuscan ripeness with high-altitude freshness and terroir complexity: accessibly delicious wines that play well with a huge range of dishes (not just pizza, pasta and steak!) and have the complexity to enrapture even the geekiest wine geeks. Something for everyone.

Second, Radda has a community of small, like-minded growers, who have focused on quality farming (more than 70% of Radda’s growers are certified organic) and leaned into making what comes naturally up there: transparent, region-specific wines. Beyond Montevertine, we have Montepraponi, Istine, and Caparsa – to name just a few producers we make sure to offer every vintage. There is a critical mass of honest, individual and fascinating expressions of Radda that is bound to draw attention.

Castello di Volpaia has been up there, preserving the local traditions since long before this boomlet. They started bottling a Riserva to celebrate their Sangiovese terroir way back in 1967, before hardly anyone else did. Today, it’s a 100% Sangiovese selection from some of the highest-altitude vineyards in Chianti and is a gorgeous example of what Galloni calls Chianti’s “deceptively mid-weight” nature: a wine that has the power and pleasure of a big wine, but is actually light enough to work seamlessly at the table.

Volpaia’s Chianti Classico “normale” remains a Radda benchmark. Less wild than, say, the Monteraponi, it balances the Radda nerve with an elegance and touch of polish. The soils here are predominantly sandstone with some clay, which helps to make the wine ready-to-drink on release. But check out Galloni’s drinking window and you’ll see that this is a perfect candidate for a bottle to lay down in a “reasonable cellar.”

Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico, 2022 $29.99
“The 2022 Chianti Classico is a lovely wine from Volpaia. Aromatic, light on its feet and gracious, the Chianti Classico here is a consistently fine example of Radda. Clean mineral notes shape this bright, taut offering. A burst of red fruit, chalk, white pepper and mint lingers on the finish.” (Galloni, Vinous)

Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico Riserva, 2021 $49.99
“The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is fabulous. Vibrant and translucent in the glass, it offers so  much pedigree. Dark cherry, leather, licorice, tobacco and lavender are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Readers will find a deceptively mid-weight Riserva endowed with notable poise. Drink 2025-2036” (Galloni, Vinous)