Fattorie Melini Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC – Occhio di Pernice 1996

52% Sangiovese, 48% Canaiolo. Deep amber color, with strong tints. Rich and concentrated bouquet of exceptional complexity, with hints of candied red fruits. Full, balanced, complex, and lingering flavor but, above all, extremely elegant with a well-balanced rapport between sugar and acidity. Can accompany pastries.

Melini, founded in 1705 in Gaggiano, is one of the Chianti region's oldest and most historic wineries. They own over 1,200 acres in Chianti, most of which are in the prime Classico zone. Throughout its history, Melini has aggressively embraced innovations that improve quality. e.g. Founder Adolpho Laborel Melini used pasteurization in winemaking 33 years before Louis Pasteur even wrote about the process. Melini has a history that has always faced the future, born from an innovative tradition that continues to this day. One of the myths surrounding the origin of Vin Santo ("Holy Wine"), a passito wine (made from dried grapes), is that its name is derived from the fact that the grapes used to make it are left to dry until the Holy Week of Easter, at which point they would be crushed and pressed. However, its most likely origin is from its historic use in religious Mass. This Vin Santo is a rare Occhio di Pernice, or "eye of the partridge," which is made from red grapes. Only a small percentage of Vin Santo produced is labeled as Occhio di Pernice.