Winemaker Notes
Impressive concentration and depth, with blackberry and red cherry aromas and flavors set in a beautiful Chianti acidity and elegant tannic structure.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A dense and flavorful red with dark berry and chocolate character. Hints of roasted walnut. Medium to full body, juicy fruit and a flavorful finish. Solid.
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Decanter
Varnish and green walnut aromas, with a whiff of tar and a hint of new leather. Fresh and joyful wine with gripping tannins and a dark, smoky, spicy finish.
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Tasting Panel
Deep earth and berry nose; polished and flavorful with complex structure and tangy fruit.
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Wine Enthusiast
Black-skinned berry, leather and white pepper aromas are at the forefront while the concentrated palate offers ripe black cherry, tobacco and a touch of star anise. Firm, polished tannins provide support. Enjoy through 2024.
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Wine Spectator
This is settling into flavors of leather, earth, mineral and bitter almond, with a core of sweet cherry and plum. Dense and complex, with assertive tannins.
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.