Chianti - Case of Six

What do you get when you mash-up a Renaissance monastery with five hundred years of wine experience and Italy’s leading pop diva? A divine, ruby-red Sangiovese that sings for its supper.

The Harvey Nichols Chianti was born at Certosa di Belriguardo, which is owned by rock-star-turned-winemaker Gianna Nannini. A multi-platinum chanteuse who has graced the cover of Vanity Fair, composed more than 20 albums since 1974, sung the theme song for the Italia ’90 World Cup and filled stadiums with devoted fans, ‘La Nannini’ (as the Italians call her) was born just south of Chianti’s heartland and has therefore always had wine in her blood. Her making this wine is the equivalent of finding out that Debbie Harry or Chrissie Hynde brewed your morning coffee. And the celebrity affiliation doesn’t stop there, because when wine guru Renzo Cotarella, chief oenologist at Antinori – the family who gave the world Tignanello, Solaia, Pèppoli and Guado al Tasso – tasted Nannini’s Sangiovese at Certosa di Belriguardo, he loved it so much he decided to become her winemaker and mentor. As a result, Gianna Nannini’s wines sing in any vintage.

Nestled amongst picturesque vineyards and olive groves in the hills that surround Siena, Certosa di Belriguardo is a former monastery with a winemaking history dating back to at least the 16th Century, if not long before. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented in stainless steel, after which the wine rests for three months in concrete tanks and a short time in bottle before it’s released.

Perfumed with scents of violet, spices, Morello cherry and Victoria plum, this is a harmonious wine with silky tannins and an inherently food-friendly nature. Perfect paired with richly flavoured and slow-cooked dishes.