Wine & Spirits - April 2021 - 116

Focus
Tuscan
Sangioveses
CH I A N T I C L A SS ICO
522582

93 | Rocca di Montegrossi

$29

2018 Chianti Classico ^ Winter rains in 2018
brought welcome relief from the drought
of the previous year, according to Rocca di
Montegrossi's proprietor, Marco RicasoliFiridolfi, and while many areas of Tuscany
suffered from humid conditions during the
summer, his estate's position in the high,
well-ventilated hills of Gaiole kept his grapes
healthy. The result is a dark and savory wine
packed with rich black-cherry flavors and
subtle spice notes, all underlined by firm,
slatey tannins. It shows formidable substance and ripeness compared to some of the
lighter wines coming out of this vintage and
will develop well over the next several years. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
523464

92 | Castello dei Rampolla

$38

92 | Fattoria di Rodano

$31

2018 Chianti Classico ^ The Di Napoli family's vines in Panzano, farmed biodynamically for 25 years, yielded an impressively
dark and plummy wine in 2018. It opens with
a hint of volatility that blows off to reveal
scents of lavender and violet. The wine's ripe
black-cherry flavors are infused with powerful, mineral tannins that keep it taut through
the finish. § Vias Imports, NY
522547
2016 Chianti Classico Bottesola No. 36 ^
Enrico Pozzesi farms his vines in Castellina organically and ferments the grapes on
native yeasts. This wine comes from a single
20-hectoliter cask first bottled separately in
the 2015 vintage. Coming off the more moderate 2016 growing season, this wine's bold
dark-cherry flavors are woven with soft notes
of tobacco, loam and dark spice. It's a deep
and savory wine, with ample bass notes to
match with braised meats and roasted game. §
Enotec Imports, Denver, CO
522593

Our blind panels tasted 185 new-release
Tuscan Sangiovese wines for this issue.
Stephanie Johnson, our critic for Tuscan
Sangiovese wines, rated 99 as
exceptional (90+) and 14 as Best Buys.
Find a complete list of wines tasted and all
reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

red cherry laced with soft notes of tobacco
and herbs. Scents of pink petals add lift,
and the wine stays integrated through a
fresh, vibrant finish. § Maisons Marques &
Domaines, Oakland, CA

522579

92 | L'Erta di Radda

$25

2018 Chianti Classico ^ (Best Buy) ^ Diego
Finocchi bought his first vineyard in 2006 at
the age of 24; he works his 12 acres of vines
organically, replanting a few plots each year.
This wine includes about five percent of
canaiolo which he co-ferments with sangiovese on native yeasts. It unfolds with fleshy
red-cherry flavors propelled by zippy acidity
as the wine takes on notes of citrus zest and
apple skin. The flavors are nicely integrated,
and the wine finishes fresh and balanced. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
522581

91 | Badia a Coltibuono

2016 Chianti Classico Dofana ^ Densely concentrated, this sangiovese reflects the clayrich soils of the Dofana vineyard in Castel-

APRIL 2021

91 | Carpineta Fontalpino

2017 Chianti Classico ^ This wine's blackcherry flavors are ripe and plummy, laden
with notes of licorice and underlined by firm,
ferrous tannins. It offers a dark and rather
brawny profile that will match robust braised
meats. § Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
522578

91 | Volpaia

$25

2018 Chianti Classico ^ Sangiovese (with ten
percent merlot) from Volpaia's vineyards in
the high hills of Radda gave a juicy and energetic wine in 2018, its ample acidity freshening the bright cherry flavors. The wine fleshes
out with exposure to air, gaining hints of
orange zest and subtle spices. § Wilson Daniels, Napa, CA

$22

$32

WINE & SPIRITS

$25

91 | Castello di Verrazzano $24

2018 Chianti Classico ^ This wine combines
fruit from high-elevation vineyards on three
soil types (predominantly sandstone, galestro and limestone) to give flavors of pure
116

91 | Pomona

2017 Chianti Classico ^ This certified-organic
producer in Castellina offers a lively wine
from the hot and dry 2017 growing season.
It shows flavors of ripe cherry and strawberry
wrapped in lightly raspy tannins, and those
flavors stay bright and balanced through the
finish. § Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
523466

2018 Chianti Classico (Best Buy) ^ Roberto
Stucchi Prinetti makes this wine with fruit
from the estate's vineyards in Gaiole and
Castelnuovo Berardenga, fermenting on
native yeasts and aging the wine in a mix of
French and Austrian oak casks. It opens with
fresh scents of roses and violets evocative of
the moderate 2018 growing season. Those
appealing aromas lead into flavors of juicy
red cherry and raspberry brightened by notes
of orange zest. It's an excellent value and a
mouthwatering wine for the dinner table. §
Dalla Terra Winery Direct, Napa, CA
522548

92 | Querciabella

nuovo Berardenga. Its dark cherry and
licorice flavors and grippy tannins will match
mushroom ragù. § Empson, Alexandria, VA
522611

$49

522546

90 | Poggiotondo

$29

2016 Chianti Classico Terre di Cresci ^
Chalky acidity propels this wine's flavors
of dark cherry and orange peel, dovetailing with cool, ferrous tannins that create a
bright, well-structured wine for the dinner
table. § Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA
522580
http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com https://www.ertadiradda.it/en/ https://www.poggiotondowines.com/scheda-chianti-terre-cresci/
Wine & Spirits - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2021
