Rascioni & Cecconello – 100% Ciliegiolo – 2020

The story:  When I first moved to Italy and decided to set up J&S, I worked with the daughter of a wine producer and her mad boyfriend. They had set up a business sourcing wines from all over Italy and selling them, mostly to America.  We spent about a month driving around wineries and trying wines, being introduced to some wonderful people and tasting some of the best wines I have ever tasted.  It was at this time that we met the Papini family. I had only just discovered what Ciliegiolo was and I was totally in love with the grape. It’s a minor component of traditional blends like Chianti but stands well on its own and is making a slow but steady comeback. The Papini family make a very grown up and beautiful version of Ciliegiolo. I knew I wanted some. I said to the guys who introduced me “I love their Ciliegiolo, I will have 102 bottles”. Their response: “They will only sell a pallet as a minimum amount”. My reply was blunt and involved a short pier and a long walk. Fast forward 4 years, and the son of the owner messaged me on instagram to say hi and I asked him whether he was selling his wine in the UK yet. He said they weren’t. He said they were still desperate to get into the UK… Guess what I said next…?! So yeah, we bought 102 bottles and we have them in the UK. This wine is incredible. It’s ever so sophisticated and a grape that many people still don’t know about. The 4 year wait was well worth it to bring you this beauty.

Softer than soft tannins, beautifully light in body, tempered acidity, but packed full of those characteristic dried cherries, this Ciliegiolo is the stuff of dreams, rounded off with a whisper of liquorice and mace.

Light bodied reds have the luxury of matching with all manner of dishes from tomato based pastas to rich roast pork, but if you want to experience something bordering on the transcendental – pair with an earthy Walnut and Red pepper Pesto!