Candialle, a 12.5-hectare (small!) vineyard, is located in the heart of Chianti, at the southern end of the Conca d’Oro - the Golden Bowl - near the village of Panzano.
Indeed, this location is something special and is regarded like a Grand Cru among the many villages of Chianti Classico. Probably also because 90% of the vineyards are sustainably managed, a unique feature secured by the “Unione Viticoltori Panzano.”
In the early 2000s, Josephin, of German descent, and her Finnish husband Jarkko moved into the old farmhouse at the foot of a 300-440 meter high basin site with some very old vines in terraced plots and lovingly restored it. Since the Peränen family lives surrounded by 42 hectares of herb gardens, pine, and olive groves, careful organic management was a premise from the start. They have also been certified since 2019.
The main focus is on the local varieties Sangiovese, some Malvasia Nera, and Canaiolo, yet a few parcels are planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The “foreigners” produce exceptional wines and qualities and are an important aspect to better understand the local terroir.
All vines grow in the proven leafy Alberello training system (also known as bush or Gobelet training), which was a wise decision considering the changing climate. Advantage: there is less old wood than with the traditionally used Cordon training here. The vine can better compensate for climatic extremes, such as drought stress.
At the same time, over 11,111 plants per hectare represent an extremely high vine density, known in this form only from Burgundy and a few other wine regions worldwide. This measure promotes natural competition among the vines and drives the roots deep into soils of calcareous Galestro and Alberese. The cool, distinctive minerality is clearly noticeable in all Candialle wines – overall, Josephin and Jarkko’s wines have become increasingly clear, purist, and expressive over time. Certainly also because their yields are extremely low and the cellar is only a 5-minute walk away, as all vineyards are directly adjacent to the winery.
In the cellar, the work is reduced to the essentials, it is functional, and only minimal-invasive interventions are made in the wine’s development. Nevertheless, innovations do not pass them by, only carefully and thoughtfully. For example, they were the first in Italy to mature part of their Sangiovese in 250-liter ceramic spheres called Clayver with great success, which many have since imitated.
What happens at Candialle is agriculture in the best holistic sense. The couple knows every square centimeter of their estate, and with their passion, observation skills, and thoughtful craftsmanship in the cellar, their wines are the quiet, small stars of Chianti Classico.
