Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red with subtle garnet highlights. The aromas are intense with distinct notes of ripe red fruit and subtle hints of dried violet. The bouquet also boasts spiced fragrances. Elegant on the palate. The notable freshness is paired with excellent, mature tannins, boasting depth and pleasant to the senses. Excellent, well-balanced and long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Dievole's 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna di Sessina (100% Sangiovese) is similar to the Riserva made in the same vintage, only this wine offers more dark and savory definition. It's a small margin of difference, but it is perceptible, thus adding even more fuel to the overall intensity, power and depth of this wine. The 2016 vintage is beautiful, and one of its best qualities is that every minor detail of the fruit, vineyard management and winemaking comes into enhanced focus and sharpness. It's imperative not to get anything wrong, and this wine gets it all right. This second edition of a Gran Selezione from Dievole is more profound and complete compared to last year's release.
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Decanter
Red berries and herbs aromas with some dried fruit. Mineral notes and sweetness of fruit with linear structure. More snap and vibrancy with tangy acidity.
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Wine Spectator
Bright black cherry, black currant, violet and wild herb aromas and flavors are matched to a supple texture in this fluid red. Structured, yet the tannins are well-mannered, suggesting that this should be approachable soon. Best from 2021 through 2033.
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Wine Enthusiast
Enticing aromas of violet, tobacco and new leather lead the nose. The savory, balanced palate features black cherry, raspberry jam, star anise and white pepper alongside fine-grained tannins and firm acidity. Enjoy through 2029.
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James Suckling
Lots of baked raspberries, roasted strawberries and toasted herbs. Medium-bodied, round and juicy with supple tannins and fruit throughout. A little jammy, but should come around.
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.