Terrabianca 2007 Campaccio Toscana Red
In the medieval times, Podere Terrabianca found itself in the ambiguous situation of being situated in the part of the countryside under the rule of Florence and, at the same time, also in the diocese of the Bishop of Siena. The very first documents mentioning its presence, dated 1085, describe it as being a country estate as, in fact, its name clearly implies. Today the winery Terrabianca is located at the heart of the Chianti Classico region, in the middle of Tuscany, 12 km from Siena and 50 km from Florence. The soil which consists of layers of chalk, sand and clay from the palaeozoic and mesozoic ages has the ideal composition to grow grapes of highest quality. On the 307 acres, there are vineyards surrounded by olive groves and woods. They are in the best position, south and southeast exposure, slightly above sea level.
The Legend of the Black Rooster: The historic symbol of Chianti Classico is a black rooster (Gallo Nero) on a gold field. Legend tells the story of how a black rooster contributed to the unification of Chianti under the Republic of Florence and became the symbol of the League of Chianti. According to the legend, when the republics of Florence and Siena were engaged in bitter struggles during the Middle Ages, the Chianti zone was the scene of constant conflict. To put an end to the fighting and establish borders between the two republics, they agreed to the following solution. A rider would depart from the capital of each of the two republics, and the border would be drawn where the two horsemen met. The riders were to set out at dawn, and the signal for the race to begin would be the crowing of a rooster announcing the new day. The Sienese opted for a white rooster, while the Florentines chose a black one. On the day of the race the black rooster crowed before day light which gave the Florentine rider a great advantage over the Sienese horseman who departed much later. As a consequence, nearly all of Chianti passed into the hands of the Florentine Republic long before Siena itself fell to the Florentines. The Black Rooster later became the symbol of the League of Chianti, which was assigned administrative and military defense duties within the Republic of Florence. Today, the Black Rooster on a bottle of wine indicates that it is a Chianti Classico produced according to the rules and regulations of the DOCG.
I found this Gem at the back of my cellar, what a great find! The wine is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon (I love the smoothness Italian Cab gives to a blend). Pouring a glass the wine was a deep Ruby red color and gave off aromas of dark berry fruits and spice. The palate shows ripe raspberry and blueberry hints, good acidity, balance and depth with fine grain tannins. The finish ended with a slight toasty spice, a touch of leather, smooth and lingering. The wine is tasting well now and has room to age.
Cheers!