DIANELLA WINES IN VINITALY 2024
The Dianella winery, owned by the Counts Passerin d'Entrèves, is located in the Vinci area, west of Florence, in the smallest of the Chianti DOCG areas. It extends for 90 hectares, 26 of which are organic vineyards managed directly, and – to date – it produces and sells around 150,000 bottles a year, on both the Italian and foreign markets.
Dianella wines have a long-standing tradition. In fact, in the 1950s, Dianella Chianti was served during the official lunches at the Quirinale under the Gronchi Presidency.
Today, the whole production is organic and entirely self-produced. The wine portfolio also includes Il Matto delle Giuncaie, Le Veglie di Neri, Sereno e Nuvole, All'Aria Aperta, Dolci Ricordi, whose names refer to some of the novels by Renato Fucini, a poet who lived in Villa Dianella at the end of the 19th century. There are also Maria Vittoria and Ottavia – the ‘bubbles’ named after the daughters of the Counts Passerin d'Entrèves – three labels of Sangiovese Ancestrale and Charmat and Vermentino Charmat.
However, in Vinitaly 2024, the wines that stood out and that Veronica Passerin d'Entrèves presented with great enthusiasm were Orpicchio and the new Cabernet Franc, launched in Verona for the very first time.
Orpicchio is a biotype of Trebbiano discovered years ago in the vineyards of Dianella, and it’s a wine that results from an elaborate and careful project. It is distinguished by its uniqueness and the production is of approximately 1,500 bottles per vintage, numbered and dedicated each year to a local or family event.
It has already received significant awards this year, such as the Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso last October.
The Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, is the latest addition to the Dianella family and comes from a single vineyard located in a hilly area, where the soil composition, being predominantly limestone, is ideal for the ripening and production of this grape variety. The vineyard is Guyot-trained and recently planted.
The Dianella Cabernet Franc is elegant with a complex structure and goes well with soft cheeses, pork or game dishes, or egg pasta with a meat sauce.
The wine presented in Vinitaly is the 2021 vintage and only in 1.5-litre Magnum format.
The Counts Passerin d'Entrèves deeply believe that the uniqueness and distinctiveness of each of their wines derive from the link with their territory and – precisely for this reason – they have decided to follow a more conscious and respectful agriculture system, and consequently moved to organic farming.
In their production, they have reverted to agricultural practices used in the past, including ‘green manure’, manual harvesting, ‘cropping’ and everything that creates the perfect balance between the plant and the environment, allowing it to express itself to the fullest.
And it was precisely this continuous search for the best ‘dialogue’ between territory and production – strongly longed for by the owners – that led to a special meeting with oenologist Franco Bernabei, who has been working alongside the Passerin d'Entrèves family for years.
The basis of their collaboration is respect for the territory, for the raw material and for family traditions.
Vinitaly 2024 was a very important appointment for Dianella, that was able to share and show its latest productions to wine experts and enthusiasts from all over the world.