Wine: Easy does it

I am standing in a loft above an old Tuscan chapel. There is a wonderful fusion of aromas of dried figs, fruitcake and cinnamon wafting from the rows of small barrels.

This is the Grati family’s vinsantaia. On the rafters after harvest, bunches of grapes are hung up to dry for two months, and then fermented for years in caratelli oak casks to make Vin Santo.

Every Tuscan estate has its own vinsantaia, but the loft of the 16th century Villa di Vetrice, home to three generations of the Grati family, is rather special as its award-winning Vin Santo dessert wine is only made in the best years.

All around us are steep terraced vineyards, interspersed with olive tree orchards dotted with cypress trees and dense forests beyond.

The Grati estate is based in Chianti’s high-quality subzone, Rufina. Some 20 miles east of Florence, the valleys become steeper, compared to the gently undulating hills of Chianti Classico between Florence and Siena.

Chianti Rufina is just as old as the Classico zone, designated as one of the four zones by Cosimo III de Medici back in 1716, but due to its small size with just 20 producers, Rufina is less well known today.

“We have more clay soils, higher altitude vineyards up to 400 metres and cooler night temperatures,” says Cristiana Grati, who runs the 562 hectare estate with her grandfather Grato, father Gianfranco and brother Gualberto. “Grapes ripen slowly and harvests are later here than in lower altitude Classico lands,” she says.

Chianti Rufina’s reds have a similar grape blend to Chianti Classico, but with a minimum requirement of only 75 per cent for sangiovese here compared to Classico’s 80 per cent. Rufina has an elegance and staying power which you cannot find elsewhere – and always performs particularly well in hot vintages like 2003 and 2007.

The Gratis are real honest traditionalist vintners. I visit their old vine nursery, Campo Collezione, where Gualberto is reviving original native clones of canaiolo bianco. In their old farm buildings they still retain glass-lined cement vats (superior to stainless steel for ageing) and traditional large ‘botti’ Slavonian oak for riserva maturation. Clearly a lot of the work in vineyard and winery is still done painstakingly by hand.

The Gratis are perhaps best known for the length of time they age their wines. It is so rare today to find a Chianti estate still selling 1991, 1995, 2000 and 2003’s at such modest prices.

Rufina’s cool climate and long growing season also makes fabulous olive oil. Villa di Vetrice Extra Vergine Olio, with its deep green hue, richness, weight, acidity and pepperiness, is better than any you can find elsewhere in Tuscany. Like their wines, their oil is also incredibly well-priced.

RED

THE WINE SOCIETY CHIANTI RUFINA 2009

(£6.95, The Wine Society, www.thewinesociety.com)

Soft, fruity, vibrant and elegant Chianti at an astoundingly good price. Made from sangiovese with canaiolo and colorino. A great buy.

LA CAPANNUCCIA CHIANTI RUFINA RISERVA 2000

(£14.99, Sainsbury’s)

Aromatic, scented, rich cherry and blackberry fruits, liquorice and herby notes, dense fruits and velvet smooth tannins.

VILLA DI VETRICE CHIANTI RUFINA RISERVA 2007

(£12.20, Berry Bros & Rudd, www.bbr.com)

My favourite Grati red; herb, dried fruit and tea-leaf aromas with farmyard undertones. A perfect example of honest artisanal Chianti matured for two years in traditional old ‘botti’.

SWEET DESSERT

VILLA DI MONTE VIN SANTO 1995

(£16.99, Marks & Spencer)

The Grati family’s greatest achievement: the best Tuscan Vin Santo on our shelves – made from sangiovese, trebbiano and malvasia.