I Fabbri di Susanna Grassi - "Terra di Lamole" Chianti Classico 2021

The Grassi family has called the tiny hilltop village of Lamole home since the 1600s, cultivating vines and producing wine from their Casole estate while also serving the community as its blacksmiths—i fabbri in Italian—a name that ultimately became the family's winery. Although the estate began selling its wines commercially in the 1920s, its vineyards were largely abandoned during the mid-20th century. In the late 1990s, sisters Susanna and Maddalena Grassi revived the historic property, painstakingly restoring its vineyards and establishing I Fabbri as one of Lamole's benchmark producers, while becoming two of the pioneering women winemakers of Chianti Classico.

Today, Susanna Grassi farms nine hectares of certified organic vineyards between 550 and 650 meters above sea level, making I Fabbri one of the highest-elevation estates in Chianti Classico. Often referred to as the "roof of Chianti," Lamole's cool climate, ancient sandstone and sandy soils, dramatic diurnal temperature shifts, and centuries-old terraced vineyards combine to produce wines of remarkable perfume, precision, and mineral character. The estate's Sangiovese Grosso di Lamole and Canaiolo are cultivated according to biodynamic principles, hand-harvested, and fermented with indigenous yeasts before aging primarily in concrete and large French oak tonneaux to preserve purity and site expression. Sustainability extends beyond the vineyard through lightweight glass bottles, photovoltaic energy production, and the thoughtful reuse of winemaking by-products, ensuring every bottle reflects both the authenticity of this singular terroir and the Grassi family's enduring stewardship of the land.

Drawn from 45-year-old vines, Terra di Lamole pours a luminous ruby with brilliant clarity. The nose is intensely perfumed, revealing wild cherry, crushed raspberry, violets, rose petals and dried Mediterranean herbs layered over hints of white pepper, graphite and warm sandstone. The palate is remarkably poised and transparent, balancing vibrant red fruit with savory spice and a distinctly mineral core. Fine-grained tannins and a tensile, almost gossamer acidity lend exceptional precision and energy, carrying the wine effortlessly toward a long, floral finish marked by tart cherry, stony minerality and lingering freshness. This is a beautifully expressive Chianti Classico that captures the unmistakable finesse and high-altitude character of Lamole. A marvel on the dinner table, the Terra di Lamole is perfect alongside a variety of dishes: eggplant parmigiana, wood-fired mushroom pizza, grilled pork tenderloin with rosemary, bistecca alla Fiorentina, lamp lollipops or homemade pasta with a wild boar ragù. It is also exceptional with grilled tuna or swordfish, especially when served with a slight chill.