I Balzini White Label, a heretic Chianti

Already in the 1980s, the I Balzini estate, in Barberino Val d’Elsa, knew which plots would be the best for Cabernet. This resulted in their White Label, a Cabernet-Sangiovese blend. 

As many of you know, the Super Tuscans came out in the 1970s and ‘80s and were, for the most part, great red wines that did not have the DOCG classification because they did not adhere to the bureaucratic regulations for the Chianti Classico appellation of the time which did not allow for, among other things, using only Sangiovese, except in Montalcino, nor using non-Italian varietals like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Thus they were in a way heretical Chianti wines. Whether this was good or bad, a matter of personal opinion and taste, the fact remains that they helped change the regulations governing Chianti production. I Balzini White Label made its debut with vintage 1986 and became the standard bearer of the small estate of the same name in Barberino Val d’Elsa. Here the soil is full of tuff stone and sand which is perhaps more suited for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon than Sangiovese and it was this that convinced Vincenzo and Antonella D’Isanto to follow an approach different from that of Chianti Classico.

The estate today benefits from the consultancy of Barbara Tamburini and the feminine soul of the estate and its wines is ensured by the evermore important role played by Diana, Vincenzo and Antonella’s young and audacious daughter.

I Balzini 
Owner: D’Isanto family
Località Pastine, 19
50021 Barberino Val d’Elsa (FI)
Tel. +39 055 8075503
Fax +39 055 7607998
www.ibalzini.com
info@ibalzini.com
Facebook: IBalziniWinery

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