Le Grottine is Chiappini’s oldest vineyard — planted back in 1978 by Giovanni himself, in the same breath as the estate’s very first vines. Four decades on, this venerable parcel along Via Bolgherese still produces some of the region’s most honest, terroir-true Vermentino, grown organically just down the road from Ornellaia and across from Le Macchiole.

Hand-picked in September and fermented with local wild yeasts, this is Vermentino left mostly alone: five months resting on its lees in steel, no oak.  The result is pale straw yellow in the glass, with an intense, elegant nose of sage and acacia blossom — the grape’s signature calling cards — layered with citrus, green melon, and a whisper of white pepper. On the palate, it’s fresh, mineral, and harmonious, carrying a gentle salty edge straight from this stretch of Tuscan coastline.