Winemaker Notes
Enjoy with cheese and cured meats, grilled or roasted proteins and richly spiced dishes.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here's a terrific value from coastal Tuscany. The Belguardo Mazzei 2019 Maremma Toscana Rosso Riserva Tenuta Belguardo is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc with 70% of the wine aged in new French oak for 18 months. It finishes in cement vats before going into bottle. The most remarkable part of this 28,500-bottle release is the very reasonable 13.5% alcohol content. The bouquet is wide in scope with dark fruit, spice and toasted oak that feels well-integrated and elegant. Everything hits the right chord, and this wine has only recently been transitioned over to Riserva status.
-
James Suckling
Aromas of ripe plums and blackcurrants with walnuts, dark spices and overturned earth. Full-bodied with layers of firm and plush tannins that continue expanding throughout the palate. Deep core of ripe dark fruit with a spicy, chocolaty edge. Structured and bold with a long finish. Try after 2024.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A nose like a hot summer day after a storm blows through, with weeds and tiny berries poking through the warm, wet ground. The berries blossom on the palate, juicy and bouncy without losing the nose's stony minerality. Supple tannins, like running water polishing stone.
-
Wine Spectator
While rich, this is offset by a vibrant structure, featuring black currant, blackberry, cedar, violet and iron flavors. Succulent and solidly built, with a long aftertaste of fruit, iron and herbs. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2033.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.