Gagliole Gallùle Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG (previously Chianti Classico Riserva)

Gallùle Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG from Gagliole (previously Riserva)

A new wine with an old name

The Antico Podere Gagliole winery has a total of around 20 hectares of vineyards. Ten of these are located in the immediate vicinity of the estate in Castellina: the special thing about them is that these vineyards are laid out in terraces - just as was customary in Tuscany in the Middle Ages. Vines, olive trees and rose bushes grow alternately on the terraces. On the one hand, this ensures an ecological balance in the vineyard, but also an interplay between sun and shade for the vines. And the grapes for the latest wine creation from Bär-Bettschart come from precisely these locations: for the Gallùle Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG - 100% Sangiovese from vines that are more than 30 years old (classified as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the 2018 vintage). The name of the Riserva itself is also a reminiscence of times long past, when the estate still bore the medieval name Gallùle. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand and then selected again by hand in the wine cellar. Vinification takes place partly in large barrels, but also partly using the "vinification intègrale" method. In other words, both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in oak barrels. The barrels are turned several times a day. This results in regular contact between the juice, skins, pips and wood. In contrast to conventional fermentation methods, the temperature in the barrel is lower and very constant. The Riserva then remains in the barrique for at least 18 months before resting and maturing in the bottle for at least 12 months. The result is a very harmonious and deep wine, rich and complex with a garnet red color. Characteristics that only Sangiovese grapes from vines more than 30 years old can give it. And of course, you could drink this wine straight away... But if you give it another four, five or six years in the bottle, you can expect a drinking experience in a class of its own. 

With precision & tradition: wines under the balance beam

At Gagliole, Swiss precision meets Italian tradition! Under these conditions, red wines and - which is rather rare in Chianti Classico - two white wines of the highest quality are pressed. The basis of the range is the Chianti Classico Rubiolo, which consists of 90 percent Sangiovese and ten percent Merlot. An outstanding red wine is the Valletta Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. It is made from a 50:50 ratio of Sangiovese and Merlot grapes. Another red in the range is the Gagliole Toscana IGT, all of whose grapes come from the vineyards on La Valletta in Panzano - namely 90 percent Sangiovese and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. A top red wine is undoubtedly the Pecchia Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT, the 100 percent Sangiovese from Panzano, which is produced using the "Vinificazione integrale" method. And then there are the two excellent white wines from Gagliole: namely the light, fruity Biancolo, which is made half-and-half from the Trebbiano and Chardonnay grape varieties. For the somewhat stronger Il Bianco, the Chardonnay, Malvasia and Procanico grape varieties, a clone of the Trebbiano grape variety, are used. These vines are around 45 years old and all grow on the terraces around Gagliole in Castellina. The product range is rounded off with an excellent extra virgin olive oil, which is pressed in the company's own mill. 

Castellina in Chianti: Where love writes wine history

The history of Gagliole is a story full of love and passion: back in 994 AD, the son of the Lombard king Berengario gave the present-day Gagliole estate to his wife as a wedding gift. Today, the Bär-Bettschart family sees this unique place as a temporary gift. Monika Bär-Bettschart's initial infatuation with this place eventually turned into the whole family's love for Tuscany. While the vineyards were initially leased to the surrounding wineries, the desire to cultivate the land and produce wine themselves grew over time. And so it came about that Thomas Bär even expanded the family estate in Tuscany in 2011 to include another vineyard with around ten hectares of land: La Valletta in Panzano in Chianti now completes the Bär-Bettschart family estate. Today, three generations of the family are involved in Gagliole and their daily commitment ensures the continuation of the centuries-old traditions of winegrowing and oil production.

Classification by vintage

2015 - Chianti Classico Riserva
2016 - Chianti Classico Riserva

from 2018 - Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.

In Italy, in the region Tuscany, in the region Chianti Classico, in Castellina in Chianti

Monika and Thomas Bär-Bettschart

Giulio Carmassi

A total of 20 ha, of which 10 ha in Castellina in Chianti and 10 ha in Panzano in Chianti

Galestro

South, Southwest

450 - 480 meters above sea level.

5,000 vines per ha

Cordon