Thursday, September 24 | 6:00 PM
GVINO Wine Bar – Leesburg, Virginia
$165 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Limited Seating

THE STORY OF TOLAINI
Tolaini is a story of returning home.
Founder Pier Luigi Tolaini was born in Tuscany and emigrated to Canada as a young man in 1959. His original intention was to work for several years, earn enough money to return home, purchase a farm, and make wine. Instead, he built a successful business abroad and, nearly four decades later, returned to Tuscany with the means and ambition to fulfill that original dream.
His vision was not simply to make good wine, but to produce wines capable of standing among Italy's finest.
He established the estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga, one of the most distinctive areas of Chianti Classico, and assembled a team focused on expressing the character of the estate's soils and vineyards. Today, Tolaini is organically farmed and carbon neutral, and the estate produces both traditional expressions of Sangiovese and powerful Tuscan wines inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux.
For this dinner, our culinary team has created a menu specifically around the progression of Tolaini wines.

FIRST COURSE
Beef Carpaccio
Lightly dressed and delicately seasoned
Tolaini Al Passo Toscana IGT 2022
We begin with Al Passo, one of the estate's most approachable yet distinctly Tuscan wines.
The name comes from a small circular wooded area at the highest point of the Tolaini vineyards, offering spectacular views toward Siena, Montalcino, and Montepulciano. The site even contains the remains of an ancient Etruscan tomb.
Al Passo combines the freshness and savory character of Sangiovese with the softer, darker fruit character of international varieties. Expect ripe cherry, dark berries, subtle tobacco, Mediterranean herbs and sweet spice, framed by lively acidity and polished tannins.
The freshness of the wine works beautifully with the delicacy of the carpaccio, while its savory character complements the beef without overwhelming it.

SECOND COURSE
Agnolotti Porcini mushrooms & ricotta
A Side-by-Side Exploration of Chianti Classico
For this course, we will serve two Tolaini wines simultaneously, allowing guests to experience two very different expressions of Sangiovese from the same estate.
Tolaini Vallenuova Chianti Classico DOCG 2023
Vallenuova represents the elegant, vibrant side of Chianti Classico.
Produced from estate-grown Sangiovese with a small amount of Canaiolo, it offers aromas of fresh cherry, red berries, violet, dried herbs and subtle spice, followed by a juicy palate with refreshing acidity and fine tannins. Tolaini describes Vallenuova as an expression of the special relationship between its southern exposure, galestro and clay soils, altitude, and Sangiovese.
Its brightness cuts beautifully through the richness of the ricotta, while the wine's earthy and herbal characteristics echo the porcini mushrooms.
Tolaini Vigna Montebello Sette Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2021
Alongside Vallenuova, we will pour one of Tolaini's most important wines.
Vigna Montebello Sette is 100% Sangiovese from a single vineyard parcel, Montebello Vineyard No. 7. Tolaini identified this vineyard for its particular combination of clay and galestro soils, slope, and exposure, which together give the Sangiovese exceptional structure and character.
The wine is deeper, more structured and more complex, with notes of black cherry, red plum, tobacco, leather, licorice, dried herbs and spice, supported by firm but refined tannins and a long, savory finish.
Tasting Vallenuova and Montebello Sette side by side will be one of the highlights of the evening—a chance to see how vineyard selection, concentration and aging can dramatically change the expression of Sangiovese.

THIRD COURSE
Tuscan Beef Stew
Creamy polenta
Tolaini Valdisanti Toscana IGT
With the main course, we move into a richer and more powerful style of Tuscan wine.
Valdisanti comes from Tolaini's San Giovanni vineyard near the small village of San Giovanni a Cerreto. The wine is traditionally Cabernet-led, combining Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc, and is matured in French oak.
Expect blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry and cassis, layered with tobacco, cedar, herbs and spice. The palate is full-bodied and structured, with deep fruit and fine tannins.
This is a natural pairing for the slow-cooked Tuscan beef: the wine has enough concentration to match the richness of the stew, while its tannins and acidity provide balance against the creamy polenta.

FINAL COURSE
Selection of Tuscan Cheeses
Tolaini Picconero Toscana IGT 2010 – Special Library Vintage
We will conclude the evening with the wine that makes this dinner particularly special.
Picconero is the flagship expression of Pier Luigi Tolaini's ambition to create a world-class Tuscan wine inspired by the great châteaux of Bordeaux. It is produced only in exceptional vintages.
The 2010 Picconero is composed of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, matured for 18 months in French barriques followed by additional bottle aging.
Now with more than fifteen years of bottle development, this wine offers remarkable depth and complexity. Look for dark cherry, plum and wild berries, evolving into notes of tobacco, spice, vanilla, licorice and mature savory characteristics.
The wine remains concentrated and structured, but bottle age has given the tannins greater harmony and refinement. The 2010 vintage was also awarded 94 points by The Wine Advocate.
We are opening this rare library vintage specifically for this dinner, and it will be served with a selection of Tuscan cheeses as the finale to the evening.

AN EVENING IN TUSCANY
This dinner is designed to tell the complete story of Tolaini from vibrant Sangiovese and single-vineyard Chianti Classico to Cabernet-driven Tuscan wines and a fully mature flagship library release.
With Tommaso Beggiato guiding us through the wines and our GVINO culinary team creating each course specifically for the pairing, this promises to be one of the most exciting dinners of our fall wine calendar.

Each guest will enjoy five wines with approximately 3 oz pours of each selection, accompanied by the complete four-course dinner.
Seating is extremely limited and advance reservations are required.
We look forward to welcoming you for a very special evening in Tuscany.
Warmly,
The GVINO Wine Bar Team