Results for: "Chianti, Italy"

The 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva is classic Fèlsina to the core. A blast of dark plum, game, incense, licorice, tobacco, and scorched earth makes a strong opening statement. Bold and virile in bearing, the 2022 Riserva packs a pretty serious punch. I would give it a few years to soften, as the tannins are formidable today. This is impeccably done. There are many notable wines in this range, but for price, value, and accessibility, the Riserva is pretty hard to beat. The 2022 spent 18 months in 500-liter barrels. (AG) 92+

Alluring aromas of dark exotic spice, black-skinned berry, violet and juniper waft out of the glass on the gorgeous 2021 Fontalloro. Elegant and structured, the chiseled palate is incredibly focused, delivering ripe Morello cherry, cassis, star anise and cake spice alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it beautifully balanced and energized. While it’s tempting now, this is still in its infancy and needs time to fully develop so give it a few more years.

Gracious and racy, the 2011 Le Pergole Torte is superb. A younger version of the 2007, the 2011 is all about spherical texture and pure voluptuousness. Although 2011 was a warm vintage, the Pergole Torte still needs a few years in bottle for the tannins to soften fully. Dark red cherry, tobacco, plum, spices meld into the dense, plush finish. A late September harvest had not been seen at Montevertine sine 2003. This is the last vintage made by Giulio Gambelli. (AG) 95+

Bid on this 2-bottle tasting lot; including 1-bottle of Palamà "Arcangelo" Primitivo Puglia IGT and 1-bottle of 2016 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva (94JS, 93WS, 92RP, 90VN). Of the 2016 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva, James Suckling writes: "The blue fruit comes through here with a cool stone and dry-earth character. It’s full-bodied and tight with serious tension and structure. A little austere, but very serious. Drink after 2021." (05/2020)

The 2021 Chianti Classico is a total knockout. Wild dark cherry, plum, incense, new leather and liquorice build as this deep, layered Chianti Classico shows off its beguiling personality. The 2021 is a gorgeous wine and also makes for a fabulous introduction to the range. (AG)

Emblematic of the exceptional quality offered at Chianti Classico’s annata level, Fontodi’s 2021 over-delivers yet again, exuding the wild, tousled, arid Tuscan countryside on a backdrop of dark, layered fruit. Hints of coffee and liquorice ripple through concentrated black cherry and blackberry. With ripe, gravelly tannins, this shows the power of the vintage without being forceful and maintains charismatic energy throughout. It's worth waiting a few more months before tucking in, but properly cellared, this will easily keep delivering for a decade.

TOP100 #1 The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Il Poggio is a total stunner. What a wine. Elegant and translucent, the 2020 impresses with a sublime, finessed personality that is impossible to miss. Fine tannins and lifted, sensual aromatics immediately announce a wine of utter class. On the palate, the 2020 is wonderfully deep and layered, with mind-blowing balance and exceptional pedigree. The 2020 is one of the very finest Il Poggios ever made. It has been nothing short of breathtaking on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it! (AG)

The process is a painstaking labor of love. A blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are hand-harvested and then hung to dry (appassimento) in airy lofts for months, concentrating their sugars and flavors. The thick, sweet juice is then pressed and sealed in small oak and chestnut barrels, called caratelli, where it ferments and ages slowly for at least a decade in the vinsantaia—a process that exposes it to the natural temperature fluctuations of the seasons. It is rich and lusciously sweet but with a vibrant, electrifying acidity that cuts through the richness, preventing it from ever feeling cloying. This is a wine to be sipped slowly on its own at the end of a meal, or paired with the classic Cantucci (almond biscotti). A small bottle will last for weeks after opening, its flavors continuing to evolve. This wine is immortal; you can keep it in the cellar for generations.

TOP100 #1 The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Il Poggio is a total stunner. What a wine. Elegant and translucent, the 2020 impresses with a sublime, finessed personality that is impossible to miss. Fine tannins and lifted, sensual aromatics immediately announce a wine of utter class. On the palate, the 2020 is wonderfully deep and layered, with mind-blowing balance and exceptional pedigree. The 2020 is one of the very finest Il Poggios ever made. It has been nothing short of breathtaking on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it! (AG)

A youthful wine with aromas of esters, strawberries, red cherries, violets, roses, licorice and toast. The palate is gorgeous, with ripe, vibrant and velvety tannins, tight-knit acidity, a medium to full body and a crisp, super-savory finish. Drinkable now, but best in one to two years.

A layered wine with bright red cherries, dried cherries, sweet violets and a lot of licorice on the nose. Medium-bodied and very supple and refreshing on the palate, with lightly framed tannins and a crunchy finish. Drink or hold. (AF)

From the San Donato in Poggio subzone, the Marchesi Antinori 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is a well-balanced wine with good continuity between bouquet and palate. That space is occupied by plush fruit flavors, fine tannins and fresh acidity. The goal is to achieve more red fruit flavors, and the growing season was slightly longer this vintage, thus making that task easier to achieve. This is 100% Sangiovese that shows genuine varietal character. (ML)

Licorice, tar and iron aromas embrace the plum, black cherry, iron and sweet spice flavors in this powerful red. Dense tannins lend support, while the finish echoes earth and tar accents. Best from 2028 through 2042. 5,250 cases imported. (BS)

Angela Fronti began her family estate production with the 2009 vintage in vineyards spread over 25 hectares between Radda and Gaiole in Chianti. This 2023 demonstrates integrity and precision of detail in the fragrance range, but its real strength lies in the balance between chiselled tannins, refreshing acidity and structure. (AP)

A model of pure understatement and class, the 2010 Montevertine seems to hover above the palate. There is a sense of pure weightlessness in the 2010 that is marvelous to behold. The flavors remain bright and pretty much primary, so readers should consider cellaring bottles for at least a few years. Sweet, silky tannins frame the exceptionally polished finish. Montevertine remains a reference-point estate not just for Tuscany or Italy, but among the world's great estates. The wines can be deceptive upon release, but they have a way of fleshing out beautifully with time. Longevity is rarely, if ever, an issue with these artisan, impeccably crafted wines. (AG)

The 2023 Chianti Classico is endowed with exceptional class and purity, despite the challenges of the growing season. Black cherry, cedar, liquorice, spice, tobacco and menthol fill out the layers effortlessly. All this needs is a bit of time to soften the contours. The 2023 spent 16 months in cask. (AG)

Bid on this 2-magnum lot of 2010 Felsina Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva (1.5L) (95RP, 95VN, 93WE, 91WS). Vinous: Bright, fully saturated red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, minerals, sweet spices and violet; the most ethereal nose of any Rancia since the 2006 vintage. Juicy, pure and precise if youthfully tight, offering lovely inner-mouth energy and perfume to the complex flavors of red berries enlivened by orange peel, sweet spices and flowers. Finishes very long and brisk, with juicy acidity that leaves the taste buds vibrating. An absolute beauty, and much less marked by the tobacco, tar and inky notes that have characterized some recent Rancia vintages. For example, even though 2009 and 2010 are both potentially outstanding vintages for Chianti Classico, there is simply no comparison between this wine and the Rancia 2009. (ID) (09/2014)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 1997 Fontodi "Vigna del Sorbo" Chianti Classico Riserva (95VN, 91WS, 90RP). Vinous: "Another showy, highly expressive wine today, the 1997 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is quite resonant and giving today, but it needs quite a bit of air to show the full breadth of its personality. Freshly cut flowers, sweet spices and red berries are all supported by silky tannins. There is an immediacy and pure raciness to the 1997 that is compelling, but I wouldn't plan on cellaring this vintage as long as some others. The warm vintage produced small berries with thick skins, which gives the 1997 much of its density, and may explain why the wine needs so much air to become fully expressive. Stylistically, the 1997 reminds me of the 2009, but with a bit more texture. (AG)" (02/2014)

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 2019 Castello di Ama "Vigneto La Casuccia" Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.

The 2023 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Rich and layered in the glass, the 2023 impresses with its purity and exceptional balance. Strong spice, leather and tobacco notes run through a core of red Sangiovese fruit. All the elements are so well balanced. Dollops of Canaiolo and Colorino are so well put together. This is a sublime wine. Truly exceptional. (AG)

The 2019 Fattoria Santa Vittoria Vin Santo (Valdichiana Toscana DOC) is an incredibly soul-stirring, traditional dessert elixir coming from the clay and silt soils of Foiano della Chiana in Arezzo. Far from just a simple sweet wine, Santa Vittoria embraces the rare and risky presence of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) during the drying process to build a profile of immense, savory complexity. The wine is crafted from a classic blend of roughly 60% Trebbiano Toscano and 40% Malvasia Bianca. Following a hand-harvest at peak maturity, the clusters are hung and dried for three to four months in a well-ventilated vinsantaia (roof room). During this time, the grapes undergo a delicate dance with botrytis, losing massive water weight while naturally concentrating sugars, acids, and wild flavor precursors. The intensely rich juice is then locked away for five years of slow fermentation and slumber in traditional, sealed small wooden barrels (caratelli). In the glass, it shows a deep, luminous amber-honey color with viscous, heavy tears. The nose is extraordinarily intense, explosive, and oxidized in the most aristocratic way, driving hard with notes of dried figs, dates, baked apricots, and caramelized orange peel. This decadent fruit profile is complexed by savory streaks of toasted almonds, maple syrup, pipe tobacco, and a striking, racy volatile acidity lift that gives it exceptional aromatic lift.

The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Bellavista is a stunner. Dense, powerful and forbidding, in classic Bellavista style, the 2021 packs an immense punch. It is also a very potent wine. All of the Bellavista signatures are present, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Graphite, sage, crushed rocks, lavender, mint and dried herbs all play off a core of cool, dark-toned fruit. The 2021 is a bruiser—a beautiful, vivid bruiser. I can't wait to see how it ages. (AG)

The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Cavarchione is dense and explosive in the glass. A blast of dark cherry, blackberry, graphite, dried herbs, menthol, and sage stains the palate. This heady, broad-shouldered Gran Selezione has a ton going on. Readers should expect a potent wine endowed with notable textural presence. Time in the glass releases the aromatics nicely. The long finish is so inviting. *AG)

Overreaching its annata categorisation, the estate’s single Chianti Classico bottling showcases Sangiovese in purezza. It captures the freshness and clarity of the cool, forested heights even in this hot, arid vintage. Beyond the glorious perfumes of cardamom, juniper and orange zest, the palate is where this really shines. Midweight with a redcurrant, raspberry crunch and tangy mineral depths. Chalky tannins are long and layered, clinging firmly in all the right places and lending ample textural drama. It rings out with energy and agility. (MM)

Violet, black currant and black cherry aromas and flavors are at the heart of this supple and energetic yet elegant red. Vibrant and linear, with a firm line of tannins and terrific length on the iron-tinged finish. Ends with fruit, mineral and spice notes, showing solid grip. Sangiovese and Pugnitello. *Collectible* (BS)

Once again, this is my favorite of the three Gran Selezione wines made by Barone Ricasoli. The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Gaiole Roncicone offers energy and a great sense of focus thanks to the elegant mineral tones of crushed seashell and chalk that frame a core of elegant berry fruit. Indeed, marine fossils are often discovered in this 10-hectare vineyard site. I love the precision and linearity of the silky and long-lasting finish. The personality is finessed and fine. (ML) 97+

The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva is a bold, juicy wine. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and dark spice are front and center. This approachable, tasty Riserva offers plenty of charm. Even though it was bottled just two months before this tasting, the Riserva is quite expressive. The 2021 spent 10 months in cask followed by a year in cement. This is the finest wine I have tasted from La Leccia. (AG)

Aromas of vivid raspberries with a floral undertone and an austere hint of slate. The palate is composed and balanced, combining generous red fruit with vibrant acidity. Well crafted and precise. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (JGA)

The 2020 Castello di Fonterutoli "Ser Lapo" Chianti Classico Riserva (DOCG) is a gorgeous, brooding, and deeply aristocratic release that beautifully channels the historic, rocky power of Castellina in Chianti. Crafted by the Mazzei family to honor their ancestor who penned the first known official document using the "Chianti" designation back in 1398, this cuvée is a tailored blend dominated by Sangiovese ($\sim 90\%$), fortified with a structural splash of Merlot ($\sim 10\%$). Rooted in Fonterutoli's legendary, high-altitude vineyards (ranging from 220 to 570 meters), the vines struggle through a highly stony matrix of Alberese limestone and fragmented Galestro marl, imparting an intense mineral depth that grounds the warmth of the 2020 growing season.

The 2024 Caposaldo Chianti (DOCG) is a bright, highly approachable, and fruit-forward expression designed for immediate, everyday enjoyment. Sourced from hillside vineyards across the broader Chianti zone in Tuscany, this wine is predominantly Sangiovese, blended with small amounts of traditional varieties like Canaiolo. To emphasize pristine primary fruit and juicy drinkability, it is fermented and raised entirely in stainless steel tanks, avoiding any heavy oak makeup.

Plenty of sweet plums on the nose with orange peel. It’s full-bodied with juicy ripe fruit and creamy tannins. Some savory, earth and meaty character in the aftertaste. Drink or hold. (JS)