Tenuta di Carleone | GreatestWines.com

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About the winery

Nestled in the romantic and picturesque Tuscan countryside, amongst wooded hills and idyllic streams is where you will discover the honest gem of Tenuta di Carleone.

The winery is located just outside the medieval hamlet of Radda, which is in the beating heart of the Chianti region. It proudly forms part of the legal wine appellation Chianti Classico DOCG.

History

Although the property has been farmed for hundreds of years (its history dates to 1078 when monks of the nearby monastery founded it), it only became the winery of Tenuta di Carleone in 2012.

Austrian entrepreneur, Karl Egger and his family, fell in love with the spot and lovingly restored it to its impressive stature of today. The Egger family own about 100 hectares of land consisting of 20 hectares of vineyard, 10 hectares of olive groves and the balance being forest. In addition to the winery, there are also two magnificent villas called “Pian Vecchio” and “Castiglioni” which can be booked. You can also expect to find Grappa and extra virgin olive oil to be sold here.

The Terroir

The setting of the vineyards around Radda are among the best in Chianti Classico. The vineyards in the mountainous terrain benefit from crisp breezes both day and night which cool the vines and intertwined with the chalky soils, creates juicy and unique grapes with mineral character.

Tenuta di Carleone describe themselves as a journey of love and appreciation for the location, its vineyards, the rustic nature of the setting, the people who honour the land and its captivating history. Their goal is admirable and humble: to create honest and loveable products.

The winemaker

The wine making is in the trusted hands of Sean O’Callaghan. He has an unrivalled knowledge and understanding of the terroir and an affinity for the Sangiovese grape having lived in Chianti for over 30 years. Known to his friends as “Il Guercio” (one-eyed bandit) his nickname refers to the fact that he was born blind in his right eye. One of the wines in their collection pays homage to him being named “Il Guercio.” The recommendation while drinking it is to close an eye and contemplate life from a different angle.

In his own words, Sean describes his approach as concentrating on natural fermentation, minimum extraction and combined with long macerations of whole grapes at times. He uses various containers like cement tanks, some stainless-steel tanks and open-top small batch fermenters. Small batches of new oak in large barrel form are also used for maturation.

While Sangiovese may be the star of the show, other varietals such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Alicante Bouschet are also grown to complement the estate’s offering.