It's a long drive from Toulon to Siena but worth the effort to meet Sean O'Callaghan at Riecine near Gaiole in Chianti. Riecine is a relative newcomer to Chianti (early 1970's) but Sean has put together an impressive suite of tiny parcels of fruit, scattered across the hills and valleys of Chianti.
Chatting with Sean, overlooking the amazing scenery above Gaiole in Chianti. Sean's practical approach to biodynamic farming is similar to mine. A list of mid-row plants looked remarkably similar to what I've been using back home to foster diversity in the vineyard.
More scenery....
Sangiovese- attention to detail in the vineyard. There's no real secret, wherever we find standout wines there is serious attention to detail in the vineyard- respect for the soil, moderate crops and careful hand-tending. These vines look a lot like the Sangiovese we planted for Jacques Lurton on Kangaroo Island- moderate vigour, leaf plucked, shoot thinned etc...
Riecine is a great example of how small can be beautiful. Sean's wines are beautifully made and the amount of energy that goes into producing such a small volume of product is extraordinary.
Thanks to Monty Waldin for helping to organise visits and hosting us for dinner (twice)- thanks Silvana!
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