Winemaker Notes
Intense red, almost purple. The nose is powerful and rich, with spicy and balsamic notes accompanied by aromas of ripe red fruit. On the palate it is enveloping, supported by dense but well-balanced tannins that open to a long finish with extraordinary intensity.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A rich ruby although it remains transparent, the 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione offers a more complete and layered picture while retaining the finesse and freshness of the other two wines. Notes of ripe red cherry, toasted cedar, blood orange, and fresh rosemary lift from the glass. Medium-bodied, it’s noble in its structure, with ripe tannins that have an angular feel balanced with an even spine of acidity and a clean, mineral, stony finish. I’m impressed with these wines from Castello Di Meleto.
-
James Suckling
A solid and linear red with firm tannins and fresh fruit of cherries and lemon rind. Tight and lightly austere but it will open up nicely with age. Better in a year or two.
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.