Nittardi· Castellina in Chianti

The records at Nittardi reach back to 1183, and tradition holds that Michelangelo himself once owned this hillside above Castellina, sending its wine to Rome to fuel his work. I cannot vouch for the painter, but I can vouch for the place, and Leon Femfert tends it now with real seriousness.

Thirty-two hectares on galestro, alberese and clay, climbing to 500 metres, with a Maremma outpost for the Ad Astra. The flagship Vigna Doghessa is pure Sangiovese off vines from 1978, cherry, tobacco, iron, tannin that asks for the better part of a decade.

Each vintage is dressed in a label by a different contemporary artist, a custom the estate has kept for years. The romance is genuine; so is the wine beneath it. I carry both gladly.