From hallowed hills to the

March is not a month to experience the Tuscan landscape in its full, sensoryoverloading vibrancy. The palette is more muted in these early days of spring, but there are signs that nature is gearing up for its annual spectacular.

The vines, as usual, are biding their time. We’re still some weeks away from budburst in Chianti Classico, and it takes a feat of imagination to picture what these hillsides of schist and limestone will look like as the vineyards awaken.

We’re here as guests of Cecchi, a family-owned wine business which has its own quiet modesty. Starting out in 1893, the company has gradually expanded over the decades. Villa Cerna has been part of the group since the 1960s; Villa Rosa, also in Chianti Classico, was acquired in 2014.

In the 1990s, Cecchi branched out into Maremma, the neighbouring coastal region that has been described as Tuscany’s wild west of winemaking. The purchase of Val delle Rose allowed Cecchi to capitalise on its expertise with Sangiovese, but Vermentino is also an important part of the portfolio in these parts, while Cabernet Franc is one of the other varieties showing tantalising signs of greatness.

During our brief time here we also have the opportunity to try wines from another outpost of the Cecchi portfolio, Tenuta Alzatura, in Montefalco in Umbria.

We’re about to discover that, wherever the family puts down roots, the priority is always the same: to get deep down into the soils and really understand what makes this terroir tick.

For more information contact Cecchi export director Francesco Vitulli: fvitulli@cecchi.net or Gaetano Alabiso at Vinexus: gaetano@vinexus.co.uk