Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red with violet hues. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violet, hints of licorice and Mediterranean herbs, soft tannins and vibrant acidity, leading to a final pleasant mineral sensation reminiscent of graphite. This is a wine that can be enjoyed immediately, thanks to the balance of the components and the fruity characteristics typical of a young wine, however, the predisposition to ageing is evident, as with all the great Chianti Classico Riserva wines.
This wine pairs perfectly with red and white meat as per red sauce pastas and gamy dishes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is spiced and earthy with red and dark berries, dried citrus peel, cocoa and wet rocks. Medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins. Linear and velvety with juicy red fruit underneath. Vivid and bright. Flavorful finish with mineral undertones. From organically grown grapes.
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Vinous
The 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva is a very beautiful wine. Dark and vivid in the glass, with terrific depth, the 2020 has a ton to offer. Black cherry, lavender, licorice, cloves and spice are all layered together in a sensual, mysterious Riserva that hits all the right notes. Terrific.
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.