Winemaker Notes
Named after one of Duccio’s forefathers, a deputy in the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century, this wine shows an aromatic profile of dark cherries and berries melded with pepper, fennel and a coated tannin structure. Bright acidity and forward fruit make this wine an formidable early drinking option where aging will surprise on the positive side.
Blend: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
The nose here is packed with blackberries, dark cherries, spices, vanilla and then some delicious herbal and earthy complexity. A fabulous texture follows where layers of dark fruit are pitted against powerful but firm tannins.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Don Tommaso is another nice, earthy wine from Principe Corsini, built with elements of black fruit, tar and red brick. A dark and savory quality of fruit dominates the palate, making for a very linear and bright Sangiovese (blended here with 15% Merlot). This is a great interpretation of the vintage. I especially liked the freshness on the close, accentuated by notes of tobacco, tar and licorice that give the wine strong, broad shoulders. It has a textured, dusty feeling on the close. Enjoy those authentic qualities with a simple Tuscan bean and tomato stew with rosemary and plenty of shaved pecorino.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot—all organically farmed—this has aromas of forest floor, tobacco and cassis. On the linear, rather austere palate, close-grained drying tannins provide firm support for prune, blood orange and star anise. Despite the assertive tannins, drink sooner rather than later to capture the remaining fruit richness.
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.