Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red in color. An ample and complex bouquet, with distinct notes of flowers, fresh fruit and spices. The palate is vigorous and vibrant, a lovely acidic vein fused with a lot of flavor make it an ample and balanced wine. Elegant and soft tannins. The finish and aftertaste are persistent and lingering. A true and authentic expression of Sangiovese.
Traditional accompaniments are red meat (both roasts and salted), game and mature cheeses. Modern cuisine pairs this wine successfully with typical Mediterranean first courses.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Subtle aromas of cherries, walnuts and chocolate follow through to a full body with round, creamy tannins and a delicious finish. There’s lushness and freshness at the same time. Hints of orange peel and bitterness at the end.
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Wine Spectator
Though supple initially, there is an earthy note playing against the cherry and berry flavors. Iron and tobacco chime in as the lightly chewy tannins rise on the lingering finish.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.