Winemaker Series
Le Cinciole from Panzano in Chianti
Tuesday November 11, 2025
Enoteca Molinari 5474 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
6-9ish
5 wines, 5 courses
On Tuesday November 11, Valeria and her daughter Veena will join Paul Marcus Wines for an exclusive wine dinner featuring their vini from Le Cinciole- an esteemed winery in the coveted Panzano area of Chianti Classico.
Chianti Classico has undergone quite a revolution, bringing its status back to historical fame when the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici III issued a proclamation in 1716 that officially defined the best grape growing areas in Tuscany. No longer are we stuck in the days of Fiasco Chianti: dull, thin wines that were served out of straw, flask-covered squat bottles in red sauce trattorias. With the work of dedicated producers pushing the norm back to low yields and quality production, Chianti Classico wines have surpassed even those of Brunello in recognition and price.
Panzano is situated exactly halfway between Florence and Sienna in the province of Florence. The area's "Conca d'Oro" (Golden Valley) is renowned for its premium vineyards. While perhaps relatively "new" when compared to centuries long standing wineries in the region, Le Cinciole is one of the early modern waves in Chianti that spearheaded the Revolution. Immediately they were on board with taking a minimal intervention approach to their wines as well as curbed yields and farmed organically to make top tier Sangiovese. Since their inception, Valeria and Luca earned a reputation for high quality, characterful juice.
Valeria and Veena, who is working with her father to take over as head winemaker, will be with us as we taste through three current vintages of their Chianti line AND some sneaky back vintages that Valeria and Veena will be stowing away in their suitcases!
As always, current release wines will be available for purchase at a discounted rate to dinner attendees.
About the Winery
In 1991 Valeria Viganò and her partner Luca Orsini left their careers as Architects in Milan and moved to Tuscany, in search of a new life in the Countryside. What began as a self-taught winemaking adventure, eventually became one of finest estates in Chianti Classico, based on certified organic farming, biodynamic practices and a traditional winemaking approach that puts Sangiovese’s varietal character front and center.
Located in Panzano in Chianti, in the cooler part of the Alta Valle della Greve, Le Cinciole consists of roughly 10 hectares of vineyards, mostly planted with Sangiovese on the iconic Galestro soil, a type of clay-based schist, on a bedrock of “Pietraforte”, a rock formation at the base of the Chianti hills. The area of Panzano is well known for making some of the boldest and most profound Chianti Classico in the appellation.
In order to preserve the uniqueness of Panzano’s terroir and Sangiovese’s character, winemaking is based on spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts, and it’s carried over in traditional cement vats. Aging is carried over in large and medium sized French oak casks, mostly used. Besides being certified organic, Le Cinciole is also a self-sustaining entity, obtaining 100% of the energy it needs from its own solar panels.
Le Cinciole’s wines are considered some of the finest in the entire appellation.
