Chiara Condello Sangiovese Predappio Romagna 2020

Chiara Condello is a young winemaker located in Predappio, a town in the southeast corner of Emilia-Romagna. Predappio is specifically in the Romagna region which, until the unification of Italy in the mid 19th century, was completely distinct in history, culture and dialect from Emilia. Chiara’s estate totals seven hectares of which about five hectares are dedicated to Sangiovese and the rest are split between woods and olive trees. Chiara’s family also makes wine in Predappio, but she makes wines in her own distinctive way with her own vines and cellar.

Predappio is one of 12 villages that gives their name to a Sangiovese subzone and is located in the foothills of the Apennines which are characterized by a sedimentary soil known as spungone—relatively young at three million years old. It is notable for containing abundant, intact shells of marine life, is chunky and porous, and held together by a calcareous sandstone “cement.”

This wine is 100% Sangiovese from three plots ranging between 150m and 350m above sea level. The vine age here is approximately 40 years. The grapes are destemmed but not crushed, leaving the whole berries intact. It’s then aged for a year in large Slovenian botti. The result is Sangiovese with substance, edge and clarity. Dusty rose, cherry, and cocoa powder on the nose. The palate is a firm yet nuanced blend of cherry, plum, and cocoa powder with supple tannin structure and a satiating length. Some claim that Emilia- Romagna is actually Sangiovese’s native land—not Tuscany—and tasting Chiara’s wines there is an essential vitality I find that makes me want to believe it. Jeremy Hernandez