“The Butterfly of the Grand Duchy”
Pagliarese is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost town in Chianti Classico, where the contours of the hills become more sensuous and gradually yield to the expanses of the Crete Senesi landscape.
Because of the peculiar shape of its borders, Leopold di Lorraine called this area of Tuscany “The Butterfly of the Grand Duchy.” Its western wing, completely contained within the Chianti zone, is traversed by series of streams that finally empty into the Arbia, while the eastern section, only half of which lies in Chianti Classico, extends along the banks of the Arbia and is traversed by the Ombrone river.
Here, the grapevine has always constituted the main crop, since the quality of its fruit is so outstanding. This is land uniquely suited to Sangiovese, and homeland to wines among the finest in Italy. The countryside here has always been an alternation of vineyards, flourishing woods, venerable olive groves, and other crops.
Geological diversity is one of the significant resources of Castelnuovo Berardenga. On the one hand are dense, sediment-derived soils of the galestro and alberese type, rich in limestone and sandstone; on the other are looser soils of sand and silt. The climate tends to the continental type, with winter temperatures that can be quite low and summers sometimes very dry. Day-night temperature differentials can be wide, thanks as well to fairly high elevations of 250-500 metres. Annual rainfall averages 700-800 mm, tending to be concentrated in late autumn and spring.
Its geological richness and special climate make this corner of Chianti Classico the traditional cradle of many fine food products and place it at the centre of Europe’s finest enogastronomic growing areas.
Here, the grapevine has always constituted the main crop, since the quality of its fruit is so outstanding.