Podere Giodo La Quinta 2021

Podere Giodo La Quinta 2021, a precise Sangiovese

Some wines tell the story of a grape as much as of a place. La Quinta 2021 draws me in for its blend of freshness, pure fruit and precision that the Giodo project pursues, without giving up its Tuscan roots. A Sangiovese worth taking the time to listen to, rather than reducing to a simple label.

In Montalcino, Sangiovese as the guiding thread

La Quinta is produced by Podere Giodo, the personal project of Carlo Ferrini and his daughter Bianca. Ferrini played an important role in the "Chianti Classico 2000" project, devoted to studying and replanting the vineyards of Chianti. His experience with Sangiovese later led him to Montalcino, where he chose to pursue his own vision of the grape. La Quinta is labeled IGT Toscana and made from Sangiovese, in the 2021 vintage.

The vines cover about three hectares at roughly 400 meters of altitude, on a south-east facing slope. They are around ten years old and grow in medium-textured soils dotted with pebbles. This situation favors a slow, balanced ripening; the small size of the vineyard also invites close attention to each plot. In the cellar, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks over several days, followed by maceration with the skins to develop structure and aromatic expression. Aging includes six months in barrique, six months in amphorae, then six months in bottle.

The available description does not specify the exact color of the robe, nor any particular aromas that it would be fair to promise you. I therefore prefer not to invent a palette of cherry, spice or flowers. The portrait given of the Giodo style instead emphasizes elegance, clarity of fruit, freshness and marked precision. For La Quinta 2021, these markers outline a red wine where Sangiovese remains central, supported by an aging process shared between wood and amphora. I picture it as a bottle to enjoy with attention, letting the wine open up in the glass, without trying to impose ready-made notes on it.

At the table, with dishes that leave it room

I would serve it alongside generous but unfussy Tuscan cooking: a roast meat, grilled vegetables or a mushroom pasta can accompany its fresh, precise profile without masking it. It is also a bottle to open when you feel like talking about Sangiovese, its terroirs and how aging can bring out its expression. Serve it unhurriedly, at the table, and give it time to tell its story. La Quinta 2021 offers a fine opportunity to taste Tuscany through the singular eye of Podere Giodo.