Founded in 1865, Bibbiano is in the historic Chianti region, in the municipality of Castellina in Chianti, overlooking the Elsa Valley towards the castle of Monteriggioni. Today’s owners, Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, are the fifth generation. Surrounded by vast olive groves consisting of over three thousand trees, Bibbiano’s vineyards cover an area of about 25 hectares, at an altitude ranging from 270 to 300 meters, with enviable exposure and excellent microclimate. The vineyards consist of plants of Sangiovese and Sangiovese Grosso grapes as well as a smaller quantity of Colorino.

Tenuta di Bibbiano was the longest standing consultancy of famed winemaker Giulio Gambelli, also famous for his long relationships with Montevertine and Case Basse di Soldera. Their decades-long association with Gambelli, under whom Bibbiano’s current winemaker trained, still lives on in their traditional approach to winemaking and their commitment to 100%-pure Sangiovese wines. Harvest is still done manually, and grapes carefully selected, with different vinification procedures according to the position of the slopes on which the grapes were grown. They are committed to replanting vineyards using wood poles and columns and by planting only autochthonous grapes. Bibbiano is committed to promoting conservative renovation of the farms, in order to not lose their architectural and human heritage and its very ancient history. The estate was certified organic in 2011.

THE WINE:

Very pleasant, persistent, of a good complexity. Marked fruity notes of underbrush and cherry combined with palatable spicy notes of black pepper, tobacco and cocoa.

WINERY: Bibbiano

TYPE: Red, Still, Dry

APPELLATION: Chianti

REGION: Tuscany

COUNTRY: Italy

SUB-APPELLATION: BIBBIANO, MONTORNELLO VINEYARDS

SIZE OF VINEYARD: 13 HECTARES

SOIL: CALCAREOUS-CLAY MIXED WITH ALBERESE ROCK

METHOD: HAND PICKING

MACERATION: 3 WEEKS

PRE-FERMENTATION TECHNIQUES: IN PART OF THE GRAPES COLD MACERATION PREFERMENTATIVE

FERMENTATION VESSEL: STEEL

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: YES

FINE LEES CONTACT: 18 MONTHS

YEASTS: INDIGENOUS AND IN PART SELECTED

VINIFICATION METHOD: TRADITIONAL, OPENED PUPMOVER AND DELESTAGE

TIME OF AGING: 24 MONTHS