Winemaker Notes
Intense red with purple notes. Articulated, persistent aromas. Intriguing, enveloping, fruity and full of hints of sweet spices (cinnamon, chocolate and black pepper). Structured and velvety tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A soft and silky red with plum and dark berry character. Just the right amount of dark chocolate. Medium body. Flavorful finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Chianti Classico Dofana is a pretty and powerful expression from the Castelnuovo Berardenga comune. This bright and lively Tuscan red opens to aromas of blue flower, cherry, spicy almond, grilled herb and licorice. The wine offers a nice balance between power and elegance—that classic tug of war you find in the fine wines of the world. The finish is smooth and silky. Of these two new single-vineyard expressions, the Dofana is my favorite.
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Wine Spectator
A streak of pure cherry makes up the core of this tightly built red. Currant and floral accents keep this pure, yet light earth, tar and mineral elements keep this grounded. Shows fine balance and length. Best from 2021 through 2033.
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.