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

Badia di Morrona packs unusually good depth into their Vermentino. Saline-tinged acidity keeps it fresh and balances its weight. This Vermentino has real substance so uncork it with creatures from the sea that are swimming in a hearty sauce.
92 Michael Apstein – Dec 25, 2024… Read more

Carmignano, a small DOCG, just northwest of Florence, requires the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese. Regulations require Barco Reale to be made from the same grapes as Carmignano grown basically in the area. Think of Barco Reale di Carmignano as a Rosso.… Read more

This stellar Brunello comes from a single vineyard in the northwest section of the DOCG, near their estate. In a word, it is fabulous. It has everything you’d expect from great young Brunello—minerals and dark savory fruitiness packaged in a firm, yet not hard, frame.… Read more

Rosso di Montalcino, sometimes called “Baby Brunello,” can come from vineyards designated for Brunello—usually declassified Sangiovese that didn’t make the cut—or vineyards that are presumably less well situated and reserved strictly for Rosso. Nardi, a top Brunello producer, uses Sangiovese from young vines in Brunello-designated vineyards as well as Sangiovese from Rosso vineyards to produce this charming and fresh wine.… Read more

Combine a top Brunello producer, Tenute Silvio Nardi, with a top Brunello vintage, 2019, and the result is unsurprisingly sensational. Captivating floral aromas pull you in and then, wham, a balance of firm, dark, cherry-like flavors and a marvelous minerality holds your attention.… Read more

($20, VOS Selections):  Badia di Morrona packs unusually good depth into their Vermentino.  Saline-tinged acidity keeps it fresh and balances its weight.  This Vermentino has real substance so uncork it with creatures from the sea that are swimming in a hearty sauce.… Read more

($26, VOS Selections):  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

($18, VOS Selections):  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

($38, VOS Selections):  With N’Antia, Badia di Morrona shows that a Bordeaux blend can be successful outside of Bolgheri. Bright and floral, N’Antia conveys the same striking fruit and “not just fruit” flavor combination as the Taneto, albeit with a more graceful, less chunky profile. … Read more

($25, VOS Selections):  I was unfamiliar with the Pisa-based producer, Badia di Morrona until their Italian public relations firm sent me samples.  After tasting a trio of their wines, I’m glad I’ve been introduced!  Taneto, a blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, and Merlot, delivers both dark fruit and a “not just fruit” character that makes it very appealing. … Read more

($42, VOS Selections):  With their N’Antia, Badia di Morrona shows how well Bordeaux varieties do in Tuscany outside of Bolgheri.  With VignaAlta, they show that Sangiovese reigns supreme in Tuscany.  Racy and elegant, the youthful 2019 VignaAlta is show stopping.  Sure, red and dark cherries, the signature of Tuscan Sangiovese, are evident but more emerges as the wine sits in the glass. … Read more

($30, Vintus):  Ornellaia is one of Italy’s iconic and greatest wines.  They produce a second wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia, that is made from young vines or from grapes that just don’t make the cut to be used for Ornellaia itself. … Read more

($110):  With Giorgio Primo, Giampaolo Motta, the owner of La Massa, shows that Bordeaux varieties do well in Tuscany outside of Bolgheri.  The sumptuous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, grown at their estate in Panzano in the heart of Chianti Classico, consistently thrills. … Read more

($76, Oz Wine Company):  Do not be put off by the vintage — not a great one for Chianti Classico — nor the late release, which is the current one for this top producer.   Their Riserva, made entirely from Sangiovese, comes from their best vineyards and spends two to three years in barrel aging prior to bottling. … Read more

($25, Volio Imports):  This ripe, 14.5 percent stated alcohol, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend delivers up-front fruitiness wrapped in plush tannins and supported by a touch of firmness that prevents it from being flabby.  Good acidity and a hint of bitterness in the finish keep it in balance though the overt fruitiness still predominates at this stage. … Read more

($24):  Badia a Coltibuono provides another compelling argument for the joys Chianti Classico in general.  Their luscious and well-priced 2020 delivers an ideal combination of dark cherry-like fruit balanced by savory or herbal nuances, while weighing in at a modest 13.5 percent stated alcohol. … Read more

($28):  The wines from the higher, and therefore cooler, elevations, like Lamole, turned out especially well in 2020, another year with a hot and dry growing season.  Lamole’s cooler climate imbued the wines, such as I Fabbri’s, with a firmness and freshness that balances the dark cherry-like nuances. … Read more

($60):  The Contini Bonacossi family owns Capezzana, Carmignano’s best producer.  Ugo Contini Bonacossi, who transformed the property from the typical sharecropping agricultural endeavor of the era, into the current modern wine and olive oil producing estate, adored a particular small Sangiovese vineyard that he thought consistently produced exceptional grapes. … Read more

($18):  Rùfina, the smallest of the Chianti subzones, is mountainous and wild.  The wines, like this one, have an appealing wildness and refinement.  Frescobaldi, Rùfina’s largest and most important producer, never falters, which means that this 2020 delivers more than its price suggests. … Read more

($21):  The ready-to-drink 2020 Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico shows why Chianti Classico is so popular.  Lip-smacking acidity acts as the foil for its succulent black cherry-like fruitiness.  Subtle spice common to Chianti Classico adds appealing complexity, preventing monotony.  Mild tannins lend support without intruding. … Read more

($32, Volio Imports):  I reviewed this wine last year and jumped at the chance to revisit it since it is still available at the retail level.  Spoiler alert — I like it just as much.  As a reminder, the Cecchi family has two distinct estates in Chianti Classico, Villa Cerna and Villa Rosa, both in Castellina in Chianti. … Read more

($33, Volio Imports):  The Cecchi family purchased the Villa Rosa estate in 2015 because it was an ideal site for Sangiovese. The focus is to make a Gran Selezione, the category at the tip of the Chianti Classico quality pyramid.  I suspect this Chianti Classico comes from grapes that did not make it into the Gran Selezione. … Read more

($19, Volio Imports):  Villa Cerna is the home, and one of the estates, of the Cecchi family, one of the top producers in Tuscany.  Primocolle — literally, first hill — comes from vineyards at lower elevations on the estate.  The bright and juicy 2020 Primocolle is a lovely, classically proportioned Chianti Classico filled with good depth and an impeccable combination of fruity and savory notes. … Read more

($27): Giampaolo Motta acquired the 67-acre estate located in the Conca d’Oro in Panzano, the heart of Chianti Classico.  Instead of making Chianti Classico, he opted to blend traditional Bordeaux grapes with the native Sangiovese.  Some would call his wines Super Tuscan. … Read more

($121): Tenuta Luce, originally a joint venture between wine icons Robert Mondavi and Vittorio Frescobaldi, is now solely owned by the Frescobaldi family.  Located in Montalcino and though it does make a Brunello, Tenuta Luce is distinct from Castelgiocondo, another Frescobaldi estate. … Read more

($111): Giampaolo Motta named this flagship wine after his grandfather and son.  With more structure and less flesh that the 2020 La Massa, the stellar 2019 Grigio Primo needs considerably more time in the bottle for its true grandeur to show. … Read more

($20):  Frescobaldi, a name synonymous with quality in Tuscany, has established this estate in Montepulciano.  It’s really a return to Montepulciano for them since Leonardo Di Niccolò Frescobaldi was the town’s mayor in 1390.  The exquisite 2020, their second vintage, is, in a word, gorgeous, melding black fruit that borders on tarriness with minerals. … Read more

($46, Total Beverage Solution):  Pugnitello, a grape whose name means “little fist” based on the appearance of the bunches, is a relative newcomer to Italian wine, having been studied and developed by San Felice in the 1980s.  So, it is not surprising that their rendition should be outstanding. … Read more

($89, Wilson Daniels):  The label says Rosso, but the wine says Brunello.  That’s Biondi-Santi for you.  Firm, sleek and minerally, this mid-weight Rosso has more elegance and stature than many producers’ bottlings of Brunello.  Fine tannins surround tightly coiled power and exquisite austerity. … Read more

($33):  Frescobaldi, the iconic Tuscan producer whose homebase is Chianti Rùfina, has recently expanded into Chianti Classico with their Perano estate.  Just as they make exceptional wine in Rùfina, they have done the same at Perano.  As expected from a Riserva, their 2018 has more weight and depth than their straight Chianti Classico. … Read more

($52):  Grapes for a Gran Selezione bottling, which sits above Riserva at the pinnacle of the Chianti Classico quality pyramid, must come the estate’s own property — no purchased grapes allowed.  Perano’s comes from a single vineyard, Rialzi, located at about 500 meters above sea level, which is a real advantage in these days of climate change. … Read more

($33, Vintus):  Sometimes described as the “third” wine of Ornellaia, Le Volte is and it isn’t because it addition to estate wine that did not make it into either Ornellaia or Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia, Le Volte contains grapes that have been purchased from other sources. … Read more

($33):  Frescobaldi, the iconic Tuscan producer whose homebase is Chianti Rùfina, has recently expanded into Chianti Classico with their Perano estate.  Just as they make exceptional wine in Rùfina, they have done the same at Perano.  As expected from a Riserva, their 2018 has more weight and depth than their straight Chianti Classico. … Read more

($52):  Grapes for a Gran Selezione bottling, which sits above Riserva at the pinnacle of the Chianti Classico quality pyramid, must come the estate’s own property — no purchased grapes allowed.  Perano’s comes from a single vineyard, Rialzi, located at about 500 meters above sea level, which is a real advantage in these days of climate change. … Read more

($73, Vintus):  Sauvignon Blanc was among the initial plantings at Ornellaia and initially they made a wine exclusively from that variety.  Over time, Viognier, Vermentino, and Verdicchio have been added and now the current blend includes those four in proportions that vary from year to year depending on the weather. … Read more

($33, Frescobaldi):  Though I have always been impressed by any of Frescobaldi’s Chianti Rufina — after all they are THE name in that appellation — I remember being disappointed when I tasted their first vintage of Chianti Classico a few years ago. … Read more

($89):  With an unusual blend of roughly 70 percent Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, Campo alla Sughera’s Super Tuscan is remarkably well-balanced.  The unnecessarily heavy bottle predicts the weight of this 14.5 percent stated alcohol wine.  That said, it retains suaveness and poise. … Read more

($25, Vintus Wines):  The stunning 2020 Lucente could be the red wine buy of the summer.  This Merlot Sangiovese blend delivers a marvelous combination of black fruit and dark minerals wrapped in a suave, silky texture.  Black fruit character is evident, but this is not a fruity wine. … Read more

($78):  Arnione, a blend of roughly 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with equal parts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, is their Bolgheri flagship.  As much as I liked their Adèo, Arnione is just, well, a much better wine.  Here, minerals balance the lush black fruit and take center stage. … Read more