Owner: In 2003, the Beretta family (see Agricole Gussalli Beretta) purchased the property to expand their wine interests, which already included Lo Sparviere, the long-established family estate in Franciacorta in the Lombardy region.

Staff: Consultant: Maurizio Castelli (2018).

Vineyards: 2018 30 hectares in production plus 6 hectares of newly planted vines. | 2020 45 hectares of vines.

Terroir: Vines in one spot. 500 metres. Clay-limestone and alberese mainly, plus sand. The southeast to southwest-facing vineyards stand on pebbly, medium-textured clay and limestone soil that is particularly suitable for the cultivation of Sangiovese and Canaiolo.

Organic certification: 2021 First vintage with full organic certification.

Winery: The Beretta family’s project for Castello di Radda hinged on improving quality from the 45 hectares under vine and the construction of a large winemaking cellar to plans by the architect Spartaco Mori. He created a low environmental and energy impact underground cellar carved out of the living rock. The unfaced stone façades, the elegant tasting room in a contemporary Italian idiom, the meticulously tended gardens, the imposingly located Florentine gazebo and the broad portico welcome visitors to a relaxing wine-focused space.

Winemaking: 100% hand picked. Selection. Maurizio Castelli told me (30 April 2021) the clay-limestone soils gave the reds a tannic feel, so to avoid any ‘hard’ influences the fermenting wine is drawn off the skins into a separate tank for 7–8 hours so the fermentation can continue with neither skins or pips present until the wine is put back in its original tank. This is before the tannins polymerise. He added that the terroir give natural salinity to the taste. 50hl steel tanks for the best grapes, larger ones for other grapes. ‘No pumping over in the presence of air because this risks extracting tough tannins which this zone is known for where you have a low pH.’

Red wines

Chianti Classico DOCG, Castello di Radda: 2016 90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino del Valdarno and Canaiolo nero. Light sour cherry, crisp and clean (Anteprima 2019). | 2018 14.5% alc. Soft, bricky, nice tannins, bright fruit, very engaging and assured texture, satisfying and reviving with no sense of heaviness that one might expect from clay soils (2020 Anteprima). Another bottle (with no claim to be certified organic) showed smooth and bright fruit with a wonderful tang over an integrated and lightly firm core (12 May 2021). | 2019 45,000 bottles. A really smooth, bright wine in terms of fruit expression, balance, texture and umani. Light on its feet, but intense and sophisticated (20 Jan 2022).

Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva, Castello di Radda: 2013 100% Sangiovese. | 2015 100% Sangiovese. Aged 80% in old oak, 20% new. | 2016 18,222 bottles.

Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Castello di Radda: 2014 100% Sangiovese.

Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Vigna Il Corno: It was called Il Corno until 2014, then from 2015 it became Vigna Il Corno: 2010 Not made. | 2011 Not made. | 2013 Not made. | 2014 100% Sangiovese. Clear, savoury, nice crunch (2020 Anteprima). | 2015 Very smooth, plenty of fruit, well integrated tannins (2020 Anteprima). | 2016 5,374 bottles.

Contact

Castello di Radda

Localita Il Becco

53017 Radda in Chianti (SI), Italy

Tel+39 0577 738992 | Website: www.castellodiradda.com