il Molino di Grace:
By the grace of nature,
a range to remember.
This giant sculpture greets visitors at Il Molino di Grace,
and is reproduced on every label.
Panzano... elegance, authenticity.
The heart & soul of Chianti.
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Winemakers’ number one mantra – as in
real estate – may be capsulized as
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
When the winemaker’s name is Franco
Bernabei, you may rest assured the
location’s as good as it gets.
How much better can it get when the
owner is key executive to a corporate
relocations company?
American-born, London-based Frank
Grace purchased the 19th-century
windmill (“molino”), adjacent barn, villa
(Villa di Castagnoli) and vineyards in
1995. He carefully picked their
geographic and microclimatic situation,
ensconced in the heart of the Panzano
zone of Chianti Classico.
Saint Francis of the Vineyards
and his namesake
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Frank Grace is one of those men for whom the sky’s
the limit: not content with having made his mark in
the business world, he cultivated his interests in fine
wine and the fine arts.
The lie of the land, the quality of the light and color
of the soil at Panzano in Chianti are so unique, his
newly acquired Tuscan estate soon became the
meeting point of both his passioni.
Frank Grace restored the ancient barn close to the
villa and filled it with sculptures, paintings,
contemporary installations and artefacts that spilled
out into the surrounding land. One of these was a
stunning bronze, “San Francesco delle Vigne”, Saint
Francis of the Vineyards (pictured left, behind
“Francesco” Grace...), protectively towering over
some 110 acres of the latter.
The Panzano estate has seen grape-growing and fine
winemaking for the past 350 years, and the average
age of proprietary vineyards is 25 years, though many
vines are even much older: Gratius, single-vineyard
Sangiovese and pinnacle of production, comes from
vines aged 55 to 70 years!
“Chiantishire” speaks Sangiovese
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Classic Chianti terroir: the local combination of marl and
limestone known as galestro – very friable calcareous rocks, soft
and permeable to heat and water, thus ensuring superb drainage
and maturation.
Galestro is just perfect for the noble Tuscan native, Sangiovese.
The high-end reds of Il Molino di Grace (bottles pictured below,
right) are all pure Sangiovese varietals: the old-vine Super
Tuscan, Gratius, the Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva
and “Super Riserva”, Il Margone: each of them, like Molino’s
Saint Francis of Assisi, towering over the appellation while firmly
rooted in its humus and character.
If there is one group of professionals who exemplify Chiantishire’s
international creativity, it’s the Molino team: U.S.-born, Europeanbred Frank Grace and his son, Tim; the German estate director,
Gerhard Hirmer; Italian winemaker Franco Bernabei, marketing
manager Tiziano Vannoni and cellarmaster Giovanni
Napolitano.
At the same time, the style and quality of this superb range speak
with an all-Tuscan accent: Sangiovese’s.
The winery (an ancient barn), completed in 1998
The Moral of the Tale
From the boardroom to the vineyard: it can begin as a vacation
home. That’s what you pretend to yourself, at least. A break from
your real life. Then it becomes the REAL life, life the way it’s
supposed to be.
The ancient windmill
Frank Grace
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Gerhard Hirmer
A view of the vineyards
Winemaking may start off as an investor’s hobby, but that’s
never how it turns out: wines always wind up as the winners.
Vineyards will never be made to follow the boardroom
schedule: they are and remain on Saint Francis time, seasons
and natural cycles.
The Grace family and their team are unanimous in pursuing the
most environment-friendly, organic and eco-sustainable
criteria. San Francesco would have approved...
Villa di Castagnoli
The Philosophy, the Wines
“Our goal is crafting elegant wines that express their terroir through the Sangiovese grape.
As such, our use of oak must be judicious: we want Sangiovese to dominate. We have the
utmost respect for the land and for Tuscany’s rich winemaking tradition, and have chosen a
sustainable, mostly organic approach in the vineyards and the winery.” Frank Grace
100% Sangiovese, single-vineyard
Very old vines: Around 55 to 70 years old
Steep hillside slopes at 400 meters (1,312 feet) above sea level
Guyot training, 3-4 buds per vine; tiny, extract-packed crops
Harvested by hand after October 10th
Placed to ferment after a second selection of fruit in the winery, at a controlled temperature of 28-30° C
(82.4-86° F), macerating on the skins for some 20 days. Full malolactic.
Ageing: 11 months in French barriques (new and 2nd year) and 2 years in bottle
Color: Deep crimson
Bouquet: Rich, complex, intense: ripe black cherries, black berry fruit, spices, white pepper, chocolate,
tobacco, humus, game & goudron
Palate: Consistent with the nose; extremely rich, complex, full and persistent
100% Sangiovese, from hillside vineyards at 300-400 meters above sea level (984-1,312 feet)
Some of the best and oldest vines; “Il Margone” is a selection of the Riserva selection (cf. following slide)
Training: Spur-pruned cordon with 3-5 buds
Harvested by hand in early October
Ferments at a controlled temperature of 28-30° C (82.4-86° F), macerating on the skins for some 20 days.
Ageing: 11 months in French barriques and tonneaux (new and 2nd year) and 3 years in bottle
Color: Deep crimson
Bouquet: Rich, spicy bouquet of dark fruit and white pepper; earthy, gamey aromas of amazing intensity
Palate: Great depth, soft tannins & velvety texture, luscious structure, long, lingering finish
The Wines (cont’d)
100% select Sangiovese, from hillside vineyards at 300-400 meters above sea level (984-1,312 feet)
Training: Spur-pruned cordon with 3-5 buds
Harvested by hand in early October
Ferments at a controlled temperature of 30° C (86° F), macerating on the skins for some 20 days. Full malolactic.
Ageing: In barrels of Slavonian oak and French oak barriques and tonneaux (new and 2nd-year) for 11 months, 2 years in bottle
Color: Deep crimson
Bouquet: Very complex and spicy, reminiscent of red fruit, cherry jam, white pepper and abundant earthy, gamey notes
Palate: Confirms the nose; full, rich, complex, silky & persistent, with sweet, elegant tannins
100% Sangiovese, from hillside vineyards at 280-400 meters above sea level (919-1,312 feet)
Training: Spur-pruned cordon with 4-5 buds
Harvested by hand in late September/early October
Ferments at a controlled temperature of 28-30° C (82.4-86° F), macerating on the skins for some 20 days.
Aged 11 months in Slavonian oak barrels and French oak barriques and tonneaux (2nd-year) and a year in bottle.
Color: Deep crimson
Bouquet: Ample and complex, intense notes of berries and violets that speak of the variety, integrated by earthy, gamey, spicy
notes exuding the humus, aromas and character of this unique soil
Palate: Full, round, silky tannins, good structure, lingering finish
The Wines:
Ending on a fun, young note
A blend of 75% Sangiovese and 25% Merlot, here is the younger sibling of the range.
Grapes are grown on a hill above Lucarelli, training is Guyot and spur-pruned cordon.
Harvest is manual, in late September and early October.
Ferments at a controlled temperature of 28-30° C (82.4-86° F), macerating on the skins for some
20 days and undergoing full malolactic.
Fun and youthful, il Volano matures in steel and bottle so as to maintain its freshness and
fragrance.
Tasting Notes & Pairings: An appealing bouquet of cherry fruit and wild flowers preludes the
well balanced palate. Smooth tannins, zesty flavors of red currant and licorice; a dream with
pizza and pasta!