Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (2008)

About this wine

This 2008 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico from Conti Capponi at Villa Calcinaia is made from Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca with a small portion of Canaiolo Nero. After harvest, the bunches are naturally dried in a well ventilated space to concentrate sugars and flavors, then pressed in winter once the fruit is deeply raisined. Fermentation starts in small traditional 55 liter caratelli with spontaneous yeasts, a slow process that helps build both sweetness and complexity. The wine then spends about 120 months ageing in Slavonian oak caratelli with minimal topping up, encouraging gentle oxidative notes and a deep amber color. Expect a rich nose of dried apricot, raisin, toasted almond, and resinous wood tones, followed by flavors of honey, candied citrus, and warm spice. The palate is viscous and velvety, but balanced by lively acidity that keeps the finish long and clean.

About the grape

Trebbiano Toscano is a long established Italian white grape, valued for its high acidity and reliability, and in this Vin Santo it provides the structural backbone and freshness while being hand harvested and dried on racks until reaching about 32 to 36 Brix. Malvasia Bianca has a centuries old presence in Tuscany, known for aromatic intensity and thick skins that concentrate sugars during drying, here it is used in modest proportion to bring floral and honeyed aromatics and to boost sugar for long ageing in small 55 liter Slavonian oak caratelli. Canaiolo Nero is a traditional Tuscan red that once featured prominently in the original Chianti formula, and the small addition in this bottling contributes extra body, glycerin and a touch of color while reflecting local viticultural practice on calcareous Eocene soils and the estate commitment to organic farming established around 2000. The grapes are inspected during the drying process, pressed in late winter and left to mature in caratelli for roughly eight to ten years, a method that ties each varietal to the Vin Santo del Chianti Classico tradition.

Quick facts

• 🏰 The Capponi family has owned Villa Calcinaia since 1524, so this Vin Santo comes from a vineyard estate with over five centuries of continuous history.
• 🌞 Villa Calcinaia dries its Vin Santo grapes in an on‑estate drying room using traditional appassimento, letting the grapes concentrate sweetness before fermentation.
• 🍒 Unlike many Vin Santos, their recipe includes Canaiolo Nero alongside Trebbiano and Malvasia, a quirky nod to Chianti Classico’s red‑grape heritage.
• 🌱 The estate shifted to organic farming in the 2000s, so the 2008 Vin Santo was produced in a setting committed to organic viticulture and biodiversity.
• 🫙 Their Vin Santo is a handcrafted, small‑scale release from a boutique cellar at Villa Calcinaia, making bottles from each vintage relatively rare and collectible.

Palate profile

Producer

Villa Calcinaia, located in Greve in Chianti, Italy, has been owned by the Capponi family since 1524. The estate spans approximately 200 hectares, with 31.5 hectares dedicated to vineyards and 10 hectares to olive groves. In 1992, Count Sebastiano Capponi took over management, becoming the first family member to personally oversee operations, and initiated a transition to organic farming, achieving full certification in 2014. The estate is renowned for its Chianti Classico wines and also produces Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC.