Tolaini is an estate winery in Castelnuovo Berardenga in Siena Province in the Chianti Classico DOCG region of Tuscany, Italy. Main markets are USA, followed by Canada, Korea and Germany. It started with a shop in Canada, opened by Pier Luigi Tolaini with his sister in 1998 (Banville & Jones), to continue alongside his father at Tolaini and creating an import of wines in the USA, Banville Wine merchants, which today is one of the most important importers.
Owner: 2002 was the year of Pier Luigi Tolaini’s first harvest. His daughter is Lia Tolaini Banville [sic]. We met at Collisioni 17th July 2017). Lia has been dealing with wine and marketing for 30 years. She works with her son Alex.
Staff: Luca Mittica (Commercial Director). | Francesco Rosi (Oenologist). Andrea Paoletti has consulted here, also Maurizio Castelli. 2002-2017 Michel Rolland consulted.
Vineyards: 2017 There were 25ha initially, but now 50ha of vines in Castelnuovo Berardenga. Lia’s Dad (Louis) wanted to make SuperTuscan wines. High density. Now have grafted some Bordeaux vines to Tuscan grapes. The 50 hectares are divided into three vineyards, 25 hectares in Montebello and Vallenuova around the house and the company and 25 hectares in another parcel in San Giovanni a Cerreto, at a distance of 4 km. Vineyards in the San Giovanni a Cerreto area have been replanted with 5 hectares of Sangiovese and which will be destined for a second Chianti Classico Gran Selezione to be placed side by side with the Gran Selezione Vigna Montebello Sette.
Organics: 2013 Began working in a more organic way. | 2017+ Working with organic consultant Ruggero Mazzilli. | 2023 First vintage with full organic certification (pending).
Climate change: Tolaini is also working with the University of Turin to achieve the “Zero Carbon footprint”.
Winemaking: New tanks in raw non-vitrified concrete, both for vinification and for the refinement of blends pre-bottling.
Perlui: First released in 2022. Dedicated to the founder Luigi, called Louie by friends. From the best Cabernet Franc, his favorite grape. 350m.a.s.l. Only made in the best years. | 2018 Cabernet Franc. 2 barrels. 14,5% alc. Well made, smooth, grippy (VinItaly 12 April 2022).
Toscana Rosso IGT, Al Passo: Named after trees on a previous label for this wine. USA main market. From a high site on calcareous soil, now (Visit 2021) being given more organic matter for softer wines. Described as a ‘wine to be drunk from the get go with Merlot for softness and Sangiovese for structure’ (visit Dec 2021 with Einar): 2006 30,000 bottles. | 2007 80,000 bottles. | 2009 85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot. MLF in French oak. Funk and oxidation, volatility, baked (DWWA 2013). | 2016 One third each Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese. Some third-fill barrels–”do not want to drown the fruit,’ (visit Dec 2021). | 2018 One third each Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese. Tronconic vats but want to avoid too much oak, hence also some 3rd fill barrels. 100-130 thousand bottles. Juicy fruit with underlying tannins (visit Dec 2021). | 2019. 125,000 bottles. Hail. Slick, smooth, bright, moreish, polished (VinItaly 12 April 2022).
Toscana Rosso IGP, Valdisanti: 2009 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Franc. £30-59.99. TCA & green notes on the first bottle; over-ripe jammy ones on the second (DWWA 2013).| 2018 Very moreish and clear, grip too. Integrated oak.14.5% alc (visit Dec 2021).
Chianti Classico DOCG Vallenuova: Vallenuova was this estate’s previous name. ‘A wine that can be drunk from the get-go,’ (visit Dec 2021). 2009 Fermented in stainless steel.12 months in oak botti. Calcareous soil. Nice grip mid-palate, smooth, savoury (visit Dec 2021 with Einar). 2016 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot. | 2017 100% Sangiovese. | 2018 100% Sangiovese. | 2020 100% Sangiovese. 14% alc. Compact, grippy, oak (Slavonian botti, Austrian made) yet to settle, 30,000 bottles (VinItaly 12 April 2022).
Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Vigna Monte Bello Sette: From a 2ha single vineyard. | 2010 Debut. | 2013 100% Sangiovese. 100% estate wines. Fruit covered by international oak, anonymous (Collisioni 2017). USA main market. | 2014 100% Sangiovese. | 2018 100% Sangiovese. 14.5% alc. Pre-harvest unsuitable grapes are weeded out. Optical sorting. Fermented in oak vats. Capo sommerso,70 days. Smooth, new oak in the background, shiny and contemporary (visit Dec 2021 with Einar).
Picconero: 2010 A little dry and extracted via excess oak (visit Dec 2021 with Einar). | 2011 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. Oaky and a bit stretched, extracted (Collisioni 2017). | 2016 75% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. | 2018 Merlot. Brighter than the previous vintage (visit Dec 2021). | 2020 100% Merlot. Very moreish. Juicy, needs time. 11,000 bottles (visit Dec 2022). | 2018 15% alc. Juicy, with substance (VinItaly 12 April 2022).
Sangiovese with no name: 2020 Another project is a 100% Sangiovese wine resulting from a 6ha vineyard on a hill site in a forested area called Mello in Gaiole in Chianti. At 694 m asl is the highest Chianti Classico vineyard. The Sangiovese has extremely peculiar organoleptic characteristics. The company vinified the Mello grapes for the first time in 2020 precisely to have a third Sangiovese wine from a completely different terroir from the Tolaini estates, in Castelnuovo Berardenga. The vineyard had been abandoned but its current owner renovated it. Certified organic it seems. On both fine and thick galestro. Rented vines (so it cannot be a Gran Selezione). Hand picked. Fermented in Tronconic wooden vats. 12m in Austrian oak. Avoid a long maceration. Hence a limpid colour. Lovely silky fruit with an engaging wildness(visit Dec 2022). | 2021 Much deeper colour. More depth of fruit compared to the 2020 (visit Dec 2021).
Visits: Store with a tasting room open to the public.
Contact
Tolaini Società Agricola srl
SP 9 di Pievasciata, 28
53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI), Italy
Tel+39 0577.356972 | Website: www.tolaini.it