Winemaker Notes
Ruby-red tending towards garnet. Bursting with strawberry, red berries and notes of sage, spice cake, and subtle earth. Well-balanced and dry, with a good structure and
a velvety texture.
Goes well with richly-flavored dishes, almost all types of meats and fish that are grilled, barbecued, marinated, roasted or stuffed as well as mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of bark, tea leaves, nutmeg, redcurrants and dried red plums. Medium to full body, lots of juicy yet crunchy fruit, bright acidity and a chewy, medium-long finish. Drink in 2019.
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Decanter
This property has been in the hands of the Zonin family since 1979, though mention of an Albola estate seems to date back to 1010 AD. Of the 900ha, 150ha are planted to vines and the Riserva is assembled from eight selected vineyards. It's gorgeously scented with dogwood flower, dried tobacco leaf and strawberry. Deceptively light-weight, this becomes more serious as it sits in glass, with layers of fine fruit building and dusty tannins lending support.
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Wine Spectator
Cherry and plum flavors ply this broad red, along with hints of leather and tobacco. Fluid, with a dusty feel of tannins on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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.