Piaggi, another of the leading producers of Carmignano, has made a positively brilliant 2022 Riserva. The legal definition of Riserva is additional aging prior to release. Practically, however, Riserva in Carmignano, and most other DOCGs, indicates a better wine made with better grapes that will improve with additional aging.… Read more

Barco Reale di Carmignano fits the Italian “rosso” category, as in Rosso di Montalcino, a fruit-forward rendition of a structured age-worthy wine. Capezzana, a leading producer in Carmignano, has fashioned a fragrant and refined one, filled with red cherries counterbalanced by earthy savory notes.… Read more

Capezzana opts to hold back several thousands of bottles that they then release at a decade of age because they know that Carmignano, and not even the Riserva, needs plenty of time to show its complexity. Of course, they’re correct. From a recent tasting of their Villa di Capezzana that showed wines back to their first vintage, the 1925, it was abundantly clear that Carmignano, like other great wines, needs time to develop and show their stuff.… Read more

Vin Ruspo is, for lack of a better word, dialect for “stolen wine.” It originated during the sharecropping era in Tuscany. At the end of the day, the farmer would hold the last barrel of harvested grapes overnight before taking them to the landowner’s winery the next morning.… Read more

Carmignano requires the inclusion of Cabernet, either Sauvignon or Franc, in the blend with Sangiovese, producing a substantial and structured young wine, capable of virtually unrivalled development with proper aging. Well, Fabrizio Pratesi’s 2021 Carmignano Riserva can serve as “Exhibit A.”… Read more

Regulators carved Lamole, the smallest of Chianti Classico’s UGAs (unità geografica aggiuntiva, additional geographic units) out of Greve because its high altitude and rock-laden soil has the potential to make unique and distinctive wines. Lamole di Lamole, by far the largest producer in the UGA with more than one-third of the total acreage, has done just that with their Duelame Chianti Classico.… Read more

A step up from “Duelame” bottlling is Lamole di Lamole’s pure Sangiovese Riserva. From a single vineyard that sits at almost at the pinnacle of elevation at which Sangiovese can ripen (400 to 500 meters above sea level), Lareale focuses on minerality and firmness rather than fruitiness, though enticing black cherry notes are noticeable in the background.… Read more

Gran Selezione sits at the pinnacle of the Chianti Classico quality pyramid. The wines must be aged for 30 months, compared to 24 for Riserva, and come entirely from the producer’s own vineyards. Lamole di Lamole opts to make two Gran Selezione wines, both from single vineyards, Vigneto Campolungo and this one, Vigneto Grospoli.… Read more

Sophie Ginervra Conte took over the family estate, Tregole, with the 2015 vintage and has been refining the wines ever since. Her father had planted Merlot, but she decided the wines are better without it, so it is no longer included in the blend.… Read more

Tregole’s 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva, made from older vines planted in the 1980s, has more muscle and complexity than their annata without losing any elegance. It shows the value of old vines and Sophie’s talents. The Riserva captivates with similar aromatics after which the youthful profile takes over.… Read more

Tregole’s Gran Selezione, made entirely from Sangiovese, comes from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s, which abuts the vineyard they use for their Riserva. Despite the proximity, the wines are very different, which also may be a result of vintage.… Read more

Monsanto, an outstanding Chianti Classico producer and no relation to the agribusiness company, has fashioned a superb Riserva in 2020. Regulations for Chianti Classico Riserva require more extended aging (24 months versus 12 for the annata) before release. But practically, Riserva means a better wine that can benefit from additional aging.… Read more

As this wine shows, Chianti Classico remains the “go-to” category for well-price, high-quality wines that are ready to drink. This organic beauty from Radda delivers bright herbal notes that complement its minerality. Succulent black cherry fruitiness and vibrancy complete the package.… Read more

Those who are familiar with my preferences know that I eschew pink wine and opt for chilled light reds when the occasion calls for a rosé. Rosato of Sangiovese from a top producer, such as this one from Rocca di Montegrossi, could change my paradigm.… Read more

Il Borro, one of the Ferragamo estates, is located in Valdarno di Sopra, one of the four areas delineated by Cosimo di Mèdici in 1716 as the site for fine wine, a sort of initial DOC, if you will. The aromatic and stately Vigna Polissena, Il Borro’s flagship, shows the power and elegance of Sangiovese in this, now, real DOC.… Read more

Although based in Panzano, Fontodi, one of the top Chianti Classico producers, also makes a small amount of wine from another area of Chianti Classico, Lamole, whose higher elevation imbues wines from the locale with a different, a racier, profile. Using organically grown grapes, the gorgeous 2021 Filetta di Lamole combines dark cherry-like fruitiness with an earthy minerality.… Read more

The grapes for this Vermentino come from Bolgheri, an area on the Tuscan coast well-known of red wines made from Bordeaux varieties. Well, it turns out that Vermentino does well there too, as this wine shows. Good acidity balances the floral and subtle melon-like notes, making it a fine choice as an aperitvo as well as a good match for grilled white fish.… Read more

Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southern-most of Chianti Classico’s UGAs (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive, or Additional Geographical Unit) is home to San Felice’s Chianti Classico property and helps explain the ripe, dense quality to this stunning Gran Selezione. What makes the wine sing and stand apart, however, is complementary herbal and mineral notes combined with fabulous and balancing enlivening acidity.… Read more

Rosso di Montalcino is a terrific introduction to the more prestigious and age-worthy “big brother” category of Brunello di Montalcino. Although Rosso is made from the same grape—Sangiovese—and similar terroir—vineyards in and around Montalcino—the wine is more approachable in its youth than its more respected elder.… Read more

Gran Selezione sits at the pinnacle of Chianti Classico quality pyramid, above Riserva. Regulations for Gran Selezione require that the grapes must come from the producer’s estate, but not necessarily from a single vineyard. In this case, they do, from the Campolungo vineyard that Lamole di Lamole believes produces exceptional Sangiovese.… Read more

Frescobaldi’s energetic Nipozzano is emblematic of the wines from Chianti Rùfina, a small, rugged high elevation area less than 10 miles east of Florence and often called a mountain Chianti. Predictably, given Frescobaldi’s stature and capabilities as a producer, this mid-weight 2021 Nipozzano sings with a combination of fruit and herbal nuances.… Read more

Chianti Classico is the heart of the broader Chianti area as well as its most famous appellation, extending from the outskirts of Florence to the outskirts of Siena. Although the subregion of Classico and Rufina rightly garner lots of acclaim, this wine shows that good value can be found in the broader Chianti region.… Read more

Wines from the subregions of Chianti, like Chianti Classico or Chianti Rufina, often overshadow the wines from Chianti. Well, it’s a mistake for consumers to ignore wines labeled Chianti, a broad region with its own DOCG that can be home to excellent wines.… Read more

Badia di Morrona’s more substantial Chianti Riserva has the same wonderful combination of cherry-like fruit accented by spice and herbal nuances as their non-Riserva. The energy of the 2021 vintage is apparent and keeps the wine lively. Either drink it now with hearty fare or give it another year or so for the tannins to soften.… Read more