Candialle

Gravity through the roof

Grapes move by gravity through the roof at Candialle in Greve in Chianti, where Jarkko Peränen makes wine as winemaker. The gesture suits the place: less force, fewer corrections, closer attention to what the vineyard has already decided. Peränen learned Chianti Classico from the ground before taking on the farm in 2002, after years spent working with a small producer in the region from 1997–2002. That early apprenticeship still reads in the method here, where field work and cellar work do not separate cleanly.

Candialle sits at the southern tip of the Conca d’Oro, the amphitheatre below Panzano, with vines on galestro and alberese between 300–360 m. Peränen’s role is not only at the fermenting vessel. He holds the line on holistic farming, environmentally friendly cultivation methods, and strict yield control, the kind of discipline that begins long before fruit reaches the cellar. Ciclope, Pli, Chianti Classico Candialle, and La Misse carry that same preference for vineyard character over weight.

High-density Sangiovese, low-yield decisions

The estate works roughly 11–12.5 ha under vine, with high-density plantings that range from 7,600 to 11,111 plants per hectare. Sangiovese leads the work, with 9 hectares planted, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malvasia Nera, and Canaiolo. Some vines are trained in doppio cordone speronato, others in alberello, the bush-vine form that once belonged more widely to Chianti Classico and now needs a grower willing to accept slower, more demanding hand work.

Farming is 100% organic, with a growing shift toward regenerative practice. Native and spontaneous plants remain part of the vineyard floor, vine cuttings return through compost, and lightweight equipment protects the subsoil. In the cellar, Peränen works with stainless steel, concrete, Burgundy barrels of 350L and 600L, and Clayver ceramic orbs of 250L. Fermentations take place in stainless steel and concrete, much of it unlined. Macerations often last 30+ days, allowing Sangiovese to take structure from skins without being pushed into hardness.

The cellar below the Conca d’Oro

The place keeps the scale of a Tuscan farm rather than a polished wine room. Traditional rural buildings sit among the estate vineyards, and the cellar stays intimate, built for close movement between vessel, barrel, and tasting glass. The quiet is useful. It lets the work remain audible: fruit arriving from the hill, a tank checked at the right moment, a vessel chosen because oxygen should enter slowly rather than announce itself.

Candialle’s texture comes from that proximity. The vineyard is not a view from the tasting room; it is the material under discussion. Galestro, alberese, altitude, bush vines, and long maceration all sit in the glass without needing decoration. The house has one current award, but the more durable record is agricultural continuity since 2002. La Misse di Candialle has a field blend of 94% Sangiovese, 3% Malvasia Nera, and 3% Canaiolo.