Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs well with beef fillet, game birds, and rackof lamb.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
I got the sense of excitement sniffing this wine that I might if I saw a pirate ship, its skull and crossbones at full mast. It gleams as stolen rubies might, it smells of powdered spices allowed only for the captain, of wooden chests and salt water. It is a big, impressive, excotically scented red.
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James Suckling
Lots of dried fruit aromas such as prune and strawberry. Full-bodied, round and velvety. A solid Chianti Classico with lots of depth and fruit. Like a top Brunello in structure. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of underbrush, ripe dark-skinned fruit, clove, espresso and a balsamic note lead the nose of this structured Sangiovese. The generous palate delivers juicy black cherry, blackberry, licorice and tobacco alongside velvety tannins. Drink 2016–2021.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and chunky, with black cherry, blackberry and pomegranate notes, accented by spice and tobacco. Stays monolithic through the long, dark fruit finish, yet maintains equilibrium throughout. Best from 2017 through 2024. 2,000 cases made
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.