Cult Wines International Notes:

The estate sits on a hilltop between Siena and Florence, in the heart of Chianti Classico, and its history runs back at least a thousand years. The borgo is a small private village in itself: a medieval fortress, an eighteenth-century villa, a Romanesque-Gothic parish church with frescoes, and a cluster of restored farmhouses, set in 320 hectares of terraced vineyard, centuries-old olive groves and oak woodland. Its position on the old frontier between the republics of Siena and Florence made the castle strategically valuable, and it was bitterly fought over. Cetinaia was the top wine of the house, made only in years when the estate’s Sangiovese reached the standard the name required, vinified traditionally and aged in the large casks typical of the region. The 1986 is still spoken of as one of the finest wines the Chianti area has produced. San Polo no longer makes its own wine; the vineyards are leased to regional growers today, which closes the book on bottles like this one.

1997 is one of the legendary Tuscan vintages, a hot, dry season that gave Sangiovese exceptional ripeness and concentration alongside the acidity the grape carries naturally. Nearly three decades on, expect a wine well into its mature phase: garnet turning to brick at the rim, the sour cherry of youth dried into fig, orange peel, leather, tobacco, dried herbs and forest floor, the tannins fully resolved and the acid spine keeping the finish lifted. Decant off the sediment and serve with food.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Outstanding condition.

Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.