Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva exudes aromas of cedar, cypress, and rose, accompanied by raspberry and vanilla bean. On the palate, flavors of bright strawberries and cherry liquor dominate followed by secondary flavors of cacao and coconut. This cooler 2019 vintage produced Sangiovese with soft, round edges and vibrant acidity, ultimately creating a savory wine with pleasant minerality and elegance. The long finish lingers with notes of fine black tea and citrus tones of ripe oranges.
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (90% Sangiovese and the rest Merlot) takes on more spiced layers of smoke, cedar, menthol, and blackberry. It is full-bodied, with snappy acidity and fine tannins, and is noted with redcurrant, orange zest, tea leaf, and clove. Hold another year or two and drink 2025-2035.
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James Suckling
Notes of brambleberries, sage, tomato leaves, olive stones and iodine lead to a firm and savory palate. Medium body and firm, tight tannins. I like the salty undertones. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva shows velvety richness and good textural support. This comes thanks to the warmer microclimate and thicker soils, sometimes with a lot of clay, that distinguish the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. The finish is dry and long, but there is plenty of sweet earth, dark fruit, plum and balanced cherry in the mix.
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Wine Spectator
A touch earthy in aroma initially, giving way to cherry, blackberry, violet and iron flavors. Taut, well-sculpted and vibrant, with a dense base of tannins elevating the finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2040.
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.