MyWinePal: Tenuta Cali Winery Dinner at Sopra Sotto

Karl MyWinePal and Angelo Dalbello (image courtesy vanwinefest.ca)

Recently I attended a dinner at Sopra Sotto on Commercial Drive that hosted the wines from Tenuta Cali in Italy. Angelo Dalbello, the export manager, attended and talked to us about the wines we were about to enjoy with our Italian dinner. There are actually two wineries, Tenuta di Capraia in Tuscany and Graffetta in Sicily, that together form Tenuta Cali. We tried wines from both wineries. They are not a big volume producer, maintaining limited production volumes across their 72 hectares, according to Angelo, so that they can focus on quality. Let me tell you about both wineries, as described by Angelo.

Tenuta di Capraia

The heart of the estate’s Tuscan production is Capraia, nestled in the high-altitude ridges between Siena and Florence. Here, the vineyards sit at 450-500 meters, a height that provides the wines a necessary tension and breath of freshness. We began with the Tenuta di Vermentino 2020. With only 4,000 bottles produced, it is a rare, vibrant expression of the altitude. The red portfolio is about Sangiovese purity, not wanting to have too many other grape varieties in the mix to achieve a fabricated complexity. Angelo describes their clay-heavy soil as a monument to water retention; it holds humidity within its structure, acting as a vital reservoir that sustains the vines through punishingly dry summers.

Sicily – Graffetta

Though the business is centered in Tuscany, the owner’s father was a native of the Ragusa and Modica region. His Sicilian soul brought the family back to Sicily, where the vineyards sit dramatically just in front of the sea. The terroir here is a departure from Tuscan clay. The topsoil is a thin layer of earth, barely 1 to 1.5 meters deep, resting upon a foundation of ancient coral, which Angelo calls “dead rock.” If you check the labels for these wines, you can see a drawing of a bird with coral in its beak. The bird is there because these birds keep eating the ripe grapes, forcing the winery to use expensive netting to keep the grapes for us to enjoy as wine. The maritime influence is the estate’s cooling salvation, preventing the grapes from reaching extreme heat peaks. We tasted the Grillo and the Catarratto, ancient varietals handled with a crush and ferment simplicity.

For both wineries the genuine nature of these wines is rooted in their minimalist intervention policy. In the vineyards, the team employs organic reinforcements, only probiotics, copper, and sulphur, to bolster the vines’ natural defences. To reinforce the vineyards, the team also uses manure and incorporates vine prunings back into the soil. In Sicily they need to apply drip irrigation due to the arid conditions. Drip irrigation is not permitted in the Chianti Classico region.

The Wines

Tenuta di Capraia Vermentino IGT 2024 – medium-plus lemon colour. Medium-intensity aromas of oak, stones, and stone fruits. Dry, medium body, with a lean, smooth, soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity. Citrus and subdued stone fruits, plus touches of apple blossom, toast, and citrus pith. Medium-plus length, finishing with light stone fruit flavours.

Graffetta Sicilia Grillo DOC 2025 – This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks. It has a light lemon colour with a green tint. Toasty nose. Medium-plus body with a round, thicker mouthfeel. The acidity leaves a light prickle on your tongue. Citrus, stony, and stony flavours. Medium-plus length, finishing with citrus and floral, plus a touch of orange flavours. –

Graffetta Sicilia Cataratto Rapio IGT 2025 – a light lemon colour. Light, fresh aromas of floral and mint. Dry, medium body. Minty, floral, and lime flavours. Medium-plus acidity. Medium-plus length, finishing with a mix of tart and bitter and floral flavours. A refreshing wine.

Tenuta di Capraia Vermentino IGT, Graffetta Sicilia Grillo DOC, Graffetta Sicilia Cataratto Rapio IGT, Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico DOCG, Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, and Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico DOCG 2024 – 90% Sangiovese with 10% mix of Colorino and Canaiolo. Medium-intensity berry fruit aromas along with a touch of oak. Medium-minus body with a soft, smooth, very light mouthfeel. Juicy red berries, plus touches of nutmeg, oak, and pepperiness on the palate. Medium-minus tannins. Medium length. A wine that would be easy to enjoy with pizza.

Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2017 – 100% Sangiovese. It has a light spice and red fruit nose. Dry, medium-minus body with a slightly round, light mouthfeel. Red fruits, berry fruits, and quite peppery. I also picked up some dried red fruit flavours with swirling in the glass. Medium-plus acidity and light tannins. –

Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2016 – 100% Sangiovese. Berry fruits and chocolate on the nose. Medium to medium-plus body. Bright cherry fruit flavours, peppery, and maybe some cranberries on the palate. Bright acidity leaves an acidic prickle in your mouth.. Lighter tannins. Medium-plus length with tart berry fruits and stronger, drying tannins on the finish.

Dinner Pairings

Our dinner pairings were:

Insalata Verde (mixed greens, shallot dressing, radish, and pickled fennel) with
Graffetta Sicilia Grillo 2025

Tuna crudo (Albacore tuna, pistachio vinaigrette, cucumber, and radish) with
Graffetta Sicilia Ràpio Cataratto 2025

Leek and Mushroom Risotto with
Capraia Chianti Classico 2024

Porchetta (roasted potatoes, salsa verde, grilled onions, and broccolini) with
Capraia Chianti Classico Riserva 2020

Capraia Chianti Classico Gran Selezzione 2020

Tiramisu

Insalata Verde, Tuna crudo, Leek and Mushroom Risotto, and Porchetta from Sopra Sotto

The Insalata Verde had a nice light oily texture. The vinegar faint. A touch of salt. Crunchy lettuce. The Grillo pairing was complementary. The acidity in the wine helped bring out the flavours in the salad, particularly the fennel. The tuna in the Tuna Crudo was soft, which played off the crunchiness of the shredded zucchini. The flavours of the Cataratto wine did not overpower the delicateness of the tuna crudo. Moving on to the red wines, we had the Leek and Mushroom Risotto to start. It was creamy, with deep leek, butter, and mushroom flavour, along with the saltiness of the shaved parmesan cheese. The acidity in the Chianti Classico 2024 wine and its tannins matched the richness of the risotto. The Porchetta had crunchy and chewy skin. Soft pork, fork tender, lovely onion flavour. The fuller berry flavour of the Chianti Classico Riserva and higher acidity in the wine was a tasty pairing with the porchetta. We sipped the Gran Selezzione on its own as well as enjoyed the Tiramisu on its own. Two nice endings to a filling meal.