2019 Tenuta San Jacopo 'Quarto di Luna Toscana, Italy Chardonnay

An 18th-century villa at the gates of Chianti. A series of charming colonial houses forming a farmhouse that’s seemingly suspended in silence, surrounded by avenues of cypresses, pine trees and farm wineries.

That’s the story of Tenuta San Jacopo, situated between the Chianti Classico and Valdarno areas, with 320 acres of vineyards, olive groves and woods. Today, it’s a combination farm and agritourism destination that has regained its prestige thanks to the hard work of a family that wanted to maintain a welcoming and authentic atmosphere tied to the peasant tradition of this area of Tuscany.

With an eye to the future, the family has embraced Chardonnay as one of its offerings. But rather than making the “big,” sometimes overpowering, style of some wineries, the family eschewed malolactic fermentation for a nice lift of freshness. It’s a delicious modern wine steeped in family history.