LE CHIANTIGIANE SOC. COOP. AGRICOLA R.L. a) WHO WE ARE The Italian winemaking consortium Le Chiantigiane was founded in 1967 and now it has become the largest wine-producing consortium in the region. rom the outset the chief goal of Le Chiantigiane has always been the quality, protection, distribution and propagation of the excellence of Tuscan wines throughout the world. Le Chiantigiane has a great patrimony of 2460 hectars of vineyards divided among 2000 Tuscan associated winegrowers who, through membership of cooperative wineries, got together around 40 years ago to set up the consortium Le Chiantigiane for the bottling and sale of their wines. Figure 1: The head Quarter of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa Around 170000 quintals of grapes are harvested from our vineyards and they are trasformed and processed in Le Chiantigiane's wineries, where the zones of production cover a large part of central Tuscany, in particolar the municipalities of Certaldo, Colle val d'elsa, Empoli, Larciano and Castelnuovo Berardenga. (Florence Province) From the vine through to bottling, from the choice of the grapes to the creation of the blends, Le Chiantigiane is always present and provides its members with technical, agronomic and technological support to ensure the best quality of the wines.
Le Chiantigiane has two bottling plants, one is the headquarters in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (heart of Chianti area) and the other in Località Madonnino di Braccagni in the province of Grosseto (Maremma). The two plants, equipped with moderm technologies, produce annually around 15 milion bottles in the various sizes to meet market demands (375mL, 750mL, 1,5 L). Figure 2: The bottling plant of Braccagni (GR), Maremma For the last thirty years, Le Chiantigiane has also been present in Maremma, where it has had excellent results in terms of production and awards. Wine from Maremma area is increasingly appreciated and in demand, showing the quality comes from a meticulous work of research, targeted investment and decades of experience aquired on the territory. In the late 1990s, thanks to its achievements in Tuscany, Le Chiantigiane extended its activity to the rest of Italy. Sicily, Abruzzo, Umbria and Sardinia were the first regions to collaborate with the consortium. Le Chiantigiane is present throughout Italy in all the most important distributive networks, with a vast network of wholesalers and retailers and combines the industrial dimension of viticulture with the limited production of the small wine cellar so that large-scale distribution blends with tradition and quality. Thanks to its organization, the Consortium guarantees a Figure 3: The Chiantigiane vineyards in the Chianti Classico area meticulous and efficient sales service worldwide and is continually reinforcing its key commercial contacts on foreign markets with Germany, Swizerland, Austria, Poland, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia,
Canada, USA, Brazil, Colombia, Alaska, Russia, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Japan. The company turnover is divided between the Italian market and the Foreign markets with a ratio of about 70%:30%. Regarding Chinese market is a new one for the Consortium Le Chiantigiane and it s becoming more important year after years. Today the Chiantigiane group bottles and distributes a vast wine portfolio and it is the first producer, in terms of bottled and sold quantity in the Italian market, of Chianti DOCG in 750mL bottles. Other important wines we produce are: Chianti Riserva DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Vin Santo del Chianti DOCG, Sangiovese di Toscana IGT, Orvieto DOC, Montepulciano DOC together with an entire range of Tuscan wines. "Le Chiantigiane" means tradition and innovation working together. Figure 4: The Barrel Room of Chiantigiane
b) OUR CHIANTI DOCG NUMBER ONE is the first Italian producer of Chianti Docg in terms of bottled and sold 0,75L bottle in the Italian GDO in the years 2013 & 2014 & 2015 (confirmed by the National Statistics Institute, IRI). Figure 5: The Chianti Docg Number One sticker Figure 6: Our Chianti DOCG number one
c) CERTIFICATION OF CHIANTIGIANE The primary objective of Le Chiantigiane has always been the pursuit of quality, understood as the full satisfaction of our clients, and as an essential precondition for the progressive growth of the consortium. The consortium was born from the enduring relation between man and the land, from man s strong bond with the territory, from which seeks recognition and enhancement. For this reason techniques and vines are monitored with passion and expertise by our member winegrowers who are supported by enologists and agronomists from the vine through to the finished product, created and prepared for sale using the most up-to-date technology. Aware of operating in a particularly critical sector for consumer safety and protection, Le Chiantigiane places special emphasis on legal conditions and regulations, introducing and applying internationally recognised norms on quality. Tradition is our starting point, and innovation is what takes us forward in a steady drive for development. Chiantigiane has obtained many quality certifications as for examples: UNI EN ISO 9001:2008, IFS and BRC
Figure 7: UNI EN ISO 9001:2008
Figure 8: BRC Certification
Figure 9: IFS Certification for the Braccagni (Grosseto) bottling plant
Figure 10: IFS Certification for the Tavarnelle bottling plant
d) EXAMPLES OF THE CHIANTIGIANE EXCELLENCE The Chiantigiane wine group is not only a winery who produces wines for the Large Distribution but during the last decades it starts to collaborate with, together the passionate work of his agronomics and oenologists, some small factories in the area of Chianti Classico and also in the land of Maremma. In this way, Chiantigiane has improved his wine portfolio and it s started to satisfy their mostrly savvy consumers present all over the world. In these wineries Chiantigiane produces his top quality wines. In the two factories in the Maremma area is produced the Super Tuscan Baioscuro IGT, a very nice and lovely white wine Vermentino Leardo DOC and the top level of Morellino di Scansano DOCG (Alborense). Instead in the other two farms in the centre of Chianti hills we bottle our top Chianti wines (From the Chianti Montagnana DOCG to the Riserva Baccio DOCG, from the Chianti Governato Montagnana DOCG to the Chianti Classico Geggiano Pontignano DOCG).
I. LE CHIANTIGIANE ALBORENSE Morellino di Scansano DOCG is a well-known product of Maremma and Le Chiantigiane has always wanted to create a Morellino di Scansano DOCG that can keep up with the notoriety of this wine and the result is an excellent quality product. Alborense is the result of Mr. Cremonini s wine passion and oenological experience and the history of a Chiantigiane associated farm, property of Tuscan Region, in Maremma (South Tuscany). Figure 11: The Morellino DOCG Alborense s Vineyard Nature, history and culture mix together, giving a surplus value to this place. This area has a thousand-year history that makes it one of the most famous Italian region, because of its rich artistic and architectural heritage, as San Rabano abbey.
The Monastery of Santa Maria in Monte Alborense, now called Abbey of San Rabano, is one the most important European medieval archaeological sites stands in the Maremma Natural Park. The complex was originally constructed in the 12th century as a Benedictine monastery. The choice of the location was in relation to a plan of territorial control, of utilization of the Figure 12: The San Rabano s Abbey resources, and economical development. Not far from the Abbey was the Queen s road ( Strada della Regina), which linked the old Aurelia and the sea. The neighbouring area was deforested and terraced to allow the cultivation of olive trees and grapevines. During the XII century the Benedictine order had a period of crisis which led to the abandonment of many monasteries, but on 30th of January 1303, Pope Bonifacio 8th ordered Jerusalem Knights Figure 13: The Maremma s towers
(Cavalieri of Gerusalemme) to vigil, look after, defend, administrate the lands and the monastery, that was fortified. In a document dated the 30th of January 1307, the place is still called monastery, while in a successive document of the 18th of October 1336 the word Fort ( Fortilizio) is used for the first time. In the fourteenth century the domain of the fort was cause of disagreements between the city of Siena and Pisa and in the mid- 15th century, Siena tore down the fortifications, anticipating its eventual decline. Santa Maria Alberese was left abandoned the following century and became the place where the hermit Rabano lived. He was later sanctified and the abbey was given his name. The original building featured a Latin cross floor plan subdivided into three apsidal naves. The large portal is topped by an arch with bas-relief presenting the same stylistic characteristics as the embrasure in the central apse and inside the abbey there is a stairway that retains part of its original structure. Figure 14: This is Maremma land The mighty bell tower in the shape of a truncated cone still dominates the area and the ruins and it is this particular buil that gaves the idea for Morellino di Scansano DOCG bottle, that has the same shape of a truncated cone.
There are over 53 hectares of vines in the Morellino di Scansano DOCG area, cultivated with the integrated production method, that guarantees a high quality wine by using natural resources and regulating mechanisms to replace polluting inputs and to secure sustainable and traditional vine cultivation. The region contributes to the Figure 15: the Vineyards of Morellino Alborense are located inside the Natural creation of a unique wine: Park of Uccellina, Alberese (GR) the vines are exposed to the sea and to the woods and this particular mix of environments gives a completely original aroma to the grapes. From the vineyard the view is wonderful: hills, maquis, the mounts and the sea in the background. Here there has been recently planted 13 hectares of new vines, that are perfectly placed in the hilly area and well exposed, and the vine training method improves the final product quality. To get this excellent quality the yeld per vine quantity is decreased, the planting density is of 6.000 vines per hectare and the wires have been put 70cm off the ground to increase the bunch of grapes maturation. Morellino DOCG Alborense cru originates from these vineyards, in the Maremman microclimate, that is particularly vocated to viticulture and the excellence. Morellino DOCG Alborense is a unique Morellino of extraordinary quality, that is one of the excellence of Tuscany wine production. Figure 16: Our Morellino di Scansano DOCG Alborense
II. LE CHIANTIGIANE AZIENDA VITIVINICOLA IL MUSTIAIO One of the flagships of the Chiantigiane consortium is the Il Mustiaio winery, with its vineyards set in a stunning natural context. The farm Il Mustiaio is situated in the center of a hilly amphitheatre, crowned by spell binding medieval settlements, which slope towards the sprawling plains of Maremma in Grosseto. Its origins go back to more than a hundred years when Attilio Saloni, Andrea s maternal great grandfather, injected the agricultural strain into the family, with the adjacent farm Il Marruchetone. The pedoclimatic environment is ideal to get the best out of the products of this area, making them unique. The clay terrain, rich in skeleton, the natural protection of the Mediterranean scrub, sun and the influence of the sea, make this area particularly suitable for viticulture. The vineyard has been renewed in recent years and the low density of more than 4000 plants per hectare, to promote a very high-quality wine, and the winery has strong links with tradition combined with planning for the future. Today "Mustiaio" has 12 hectares of vineyards almost completely replanted. The main grapes Sangiovese for the red variety along with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Ciliegiolo, and Vermentino for the white with some Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia and Riesling Renano and the used planting form system is cordone speronato. Figure 17: The vineyards of Mustiaio winery
The winery is a brand new building with state of the art technology and machinery. Every detail has been taken care of to keep it in harmony with the surrounding environment. There is a lovely winetasting hall within which makes it a lifetime experience. It is placed in the middle of the estate overlooking the vineyards on all sides, to ensure that the grapes harvested, exclusively by hand, reach the winery within minutes and thus maintain most of their primary flavours intact. There is also an underground area for the ageing of the best wines of the year in oak barrels tonneaux worked magnificently by an Austrian craftsman. Figure 18: aerial view of the Mustiaio winery Le Chiantigiane has focussed on and invested in this small winery that produces a very high quality Super Tuscan (Baioscuro), a young red wine (red Cervato) and the Vermentino (Leardo), which has already earned itself a reputation.
III. LE CHIANTIGIANE FATTORIA DI MONTAGNANA This historical winery in the Florentine countryside, is one of the oldest wineries in Tuscany. In the Medieval period it belonged to the monks of the Certosa di Firenze who cultivated the land. Over the centuries specialised olive groves and vineyards were planted and from then the winery has remained virtually unchanged. After World War II in 1952 the winery enjoyed new impetus when it planted the first specialized vines in Tuscany. This marks a new productive stimulus for di Montagnana, specializing in the cultivation of vines and in the production of wine with excellent results. In 1972 the employees took on the property, giving life to one of the first cooperative winemaking ventures in Tuscany. Thus one began to manage the entire productive chain/sequence, giving new impetus to the winery, Figure 19: The Montagnana s Estate that down the years has known how to continuously renew itself. The terrain is particularly suited to the cultivation of vines and the meticulous work of experts means that the grapes, and their wines, are the result of an age-old tradition but using modern techniques, leading to excellent quality. Figure 20: Our Chianti Montagnana DOCG
IV. LE CHIANTIGIANE FATTORIA DI GEGGIANO Geggiano lies in the heart of the Siena hills, an area of excellence for Chianti Classico. Le Chiantigiane has chosen this winery to produce a very high quality wine. Legend has it that Dionysus, the god of wine, chose the hills around Siena as the ideal location to plant vines and grow Sangiovese grapes. He was accompanied by a godess who fell in love with the place and gave the rows her splendid image in the form of a butterfly wing. This gave us Chianti Classico that harmonises a history rich in poetry and evocative of the past with the excellent quality of the wine produced in this area. The steep slopes of stony terrain with galestro, are ideal for the production of a highquality product, obtained from 25 hectares of low-production vineyard, around 60 quintals of grapes per hectare, cultivated using the spurred cordon system. The grapes are harvested towards the end of September, so that they can reach maximum phenolic and sugar maturation and the sweet tannins give the wine softness. Chianti Classico is the product that par excellence represents this are and the fruit of the vines ad butterfly wing found in the hills of the Siena s Chianti. The surrounding countryside is stunningly beautiful and the vineyard with its butterfly-wing shape looks towards Piazza del Campo, in the heart of the medieval city of Siena, summing up the poetry of our Chianti Classico DOCG. At the nearby Certosa di Geggiano Pontignano, the Chianti countryside is at its least harsh and its rich gardens mark a union between architectural form and nature, emphasizing the harmony between man and nature that, one of the principles of the life of Carthusian monks. Figure 22: Our Chianti Classico Docg Geggiano Pontignano Figure 21: The area around Geggiano winery
BUTTERFLY WING When Dionysus descended down to Earth to plant vines to obtain wine flew in couple with a winged Goddess gliding smoothly on a slope. He came in the evening, the stars already in the sky the Goddess so tired for the great journey fell asleep under the pretty wings in the sky the moon shone white. When the first ray of sunshine came out the winged goddess did not resume the flight wanted to stay there ceased her journey in the land that God gave her. Dionysus planted the vineyard right there, Sangiovese to make red wine to make vinsanto yellow Malvasia and from that day the vineyard was renamed, it is called wing butterfly vine Beppe Semboloni Figure 23: The Sangiovese grapes harvested by hand in the Chianti Classico region
THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION AND FOR THE INTEREST SHOWN TOWARDS OUR CONSORTIUM OF WINEGROWERS ENJOY OUR WINES Figure 24: A grape bunch of Sangiovese grown in the Geggiano Estate (SI) LE CHIANTIGIANE OENOL. MATTEO CREMONINI BIANCHI