Winemaker Notes
Aromatic nose carries scents of balsamic and dried herbs with a note of ripe plum. Black raspberry, cherry, and white pepper on the palate with good structure and a mineral driven finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Just bottled, the 2021 Chianti Classico captures all the energy of the year in its bright, red-toned fruit. Blood orange, mint, white pepper and vibrant acids lend notable energy a Chianti Classico that sizzles with tension. There's plenty of fruit to back that all up. Bright saline notes extend the finish beautifully.
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Wine Spectator
A vivid, linear red, evoking black cherry, blackberry, licorice and spice flavors. Rich and dense, with a lively structure, this ends with generous fruit and spice notes.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A youthful ruby hue, the 2021 Chianti Classico is fresh with aromas of wet asphalt, cracked pepper, fresh black raspberry, and violets. Medium-bodied, it has wonderful lift, with ultra-fine tannins and a clean, stony finish. This gorgeous entry wine is approachable and drinking beautifully now and will dink well over the next 5-7 years. It’s sure to disappear quickly whether you drink it on its own or at the table.
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.
Famous for its food-friendly, approachable red wines and their storied history, Chianti is perhaps the best-known wine region of Italy. This appellation within Tuscany has it all: sweeping views of rolling hills, endless vineyards, the warm Mediterranean sun, hearty cuisine and a rich artistic heritage. Chianti includes seven subzones: Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Rufina, Montalbano, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Colli Aretini and Montespertoli, with area beyond whose wines can be labeled simply as Chianti.
However the best quality comes from Chianti Classico, in the heart of the Chianti zone, which is no longer a subzone of the region at all but has been recognized on its own since 1996. The Classico region today is delimited by the confines of the original Chianti zone protected since the 1700s.
Chianti wines are made primarily of Sangiovese, with other varieties comprising up to 25-30% of the blend. Generally, local varieties are used, including Canaiolo, Colorino and Mammolo, but international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are allowed as long as they are grown within the same zone.
Basic, value-driven Chianti wine is simple and fruit-forward and makes a great companion to any casual dinner. At its apex, Chianti is full bodied but with good acidity, firm tannins, and notes of tart red fruit, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic and tobacco. Chianti Riserva, typically the top bottling of a producer, can benefit handsomely from a decade or two of cellaring.