Medium garnet color; red fruit, eucalyptus, spice on the nose; strawberry, redcurrant, black cherry, blackberry licorice, minerals, meat on the palate.
Dry; medium-plus body, velvety but assertive tannins—greatly benefits from decanting. Somewhat muted fruit, but delicious with good structure, some complexity, fairly light acidity, medium-long finish, nice mouth feel. Blend of mostly sangiovese (85%) and cabernet sauvignon. Subdued oak notes even though this spend two years in small and medium-sized French barrels.
The hamlet of Lamole south of Florence is a commune of Greve in Chianti. It first saw vineyards during Roman times. By the Middle Ages wine production was important enough to be protected by the Gherardini family, and ruins of their 14th century castle remain—today’s winery stands on top of one of the castle’s storehouses.
In the 1800s, Lamole was cited as one of the cradles of fine Chianti. Then industrialization drew away laborers and the region lay fallow except for handful of tenacious farmers. The Santa Margherita Wine Group changed things beginning in 1993, restoring vineyards, terraces, replanting the Florentine iris (the iris is the symbol of Florence) and other local species, and bringing organic farming practices to vineyards and olive groves. The Lamole estate includes 437 acres, with 140 acres in vines.
Lamole di Lamole has clear commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable, and vegan-friendly production. Compost is made from pruned vegetation from the estate to feed the soil. They use organic land management practices and in-ground irrigation to conserve water. For this Chianti Classico they use “extreme organic farming” to eliminate the need for conventional chemical pesticides. They anticipate global organic certification soon.
Addressing vegan concerns, several years ago Lamole abandoned the use of all animal byproducts (such as egg whites for fining) and use only vegan-friendly bentonite clay, yeast-derived and vegetable-derived products during filtration. In the energy field, they are on target to have their wineries 100% powered by renewable sources, primarily through commitment to solar energy. Operations are centered in one location to reduce transportation costs, including production of their own bottles on site—65% of their green glass bottles are made from recycled materials.
Lamole di Lamole Vigneto di Campolungo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2011 is great food wine; the tannic pucker easily blows off with decanting, the acidity may be slight, but overall a solid Chianti that many different palates should enjoy, especially paired with the right food—especially Italian fare. Pair with meat-pasta dishes, pasta with tomato-based sauces, lasagna, flavorsome red meats, beef stews, grilled steaks, barbecue, meat lover’s pizza, burgers and sliders, salted pork, wild game, roasted vegetables, flavorful mature cheese. $31-45
