Brooding and balsamic, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a dark stallion of a wine with a bouquet to meditate to, wafting up exotic spices, flint, incense, dried roses, black cherries and hints of ashen stoneIt's racy yet complex and sensual, with silken textures and masses of mineralinflected red berry fruits, all guided by a core of zesty acidity as a tinge of sour citrus adds tension throughout. Pleasantly chewy yet still mouthwatering, the 2019 leaves a web of fine tannins, along with a hint of orange zest and cloves to linger on and on and on. This is drop-dead gorgeous. Drink 2028‑2042. Rated 98. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today. Drink 2026‑2040. Rated 96. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023. Regularly $87.50 the bottle, on sale now at:

Produced entirely from hand‑harvested Sangiovese grapes, sourced from the estate's younger vineyards, this perennially excellent and emblematic Rosso di Montalcino is aged in a combination of botti grandi and tonneau of 350‑litre capacity before a period of bottle aging. Translucent ruby garnet in color with aromas suggestive of sanguine roasted red berry fruit, singed earth, saddle leather, macchea mediterranea and more; just plump on entry with shape and volume, then demonstrating a gentle structure of rounded tannins and nerve and a push of fruity intensity leaving the mouth fresh and pleasingly challenged.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa hails from the Montosoli hillside, facing the town of Montalcino. It’s youthfully moody and dark in the glass, slowly evolving with violet florals, crushed wild berries and sweet spice. Silky and pliant, it sweeps across the palate with juicy textural waves of mineral-drenched red fruits as inner florals resonate and grippy tannins mount toward the close. The Vigna La Casa tapers off long, structured and classically dry, leaving a licorice twang and hints of tart orange that curl the tongue. The future is very bright, but the 2019 will require serious patience. Drink 2027‑2040. Rated 95. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

Dusty roses, worn leather, dried strawberries and arid earth form a classic bouquet as the dynamic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino blossoms in the glass. This is feminine yet deep and textural, with ripe plums and black cherries motivated by brisk acidity. Violet inner florals and licorice hints form toward the close. The 2019 leaves a salty mineral staining to mingle with fine-grained tannins and spice, as it finishes with incredible length, yet still so fresh. This is incredibly youthful and inward today, but the potential is off the charts. I expect the 2019 to put on some weight and blossom over the next five to ten years. Glorious. Drink 2027‑2042. Rated 96. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. Clove and a dusting of savory spice complicate a beguiling crushed black cherry and strawberry bouquet. This presents textures of pure silk, ushering in ripe red fruits and inner florals that stain the palate in youthful concentration. The 2019 tapers off dramatically, leaving a bed of grippy tannins to grumble on as licorice and orange hints slowly fade. Drink 2026‑2039. Rated 96. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

Dusty and floral, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a perfumed blend of dried roses, cherries, mint and lavender candies. It’s elegant and seamlessly silky on the palate, enveloping the senses with ripe red berry fruits contrasted by a bitter clove tinge. A core of brisk acidity maintains a lovely balance as a web of fine tannins saturates the palate, and a pleasantly chewy sensation remains. The 2019 is classic to the core. Drink 2027‑2040. Rated 96. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

It takes a good amount of time for the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino to open in the glass, as a cloud of white smoke gives way to a sweetly scented mix of dried roses, sugar-dusted cherries and hints of exotic spice. This is a round and supple 2018, communicating elegance through its velvety textures, polished ripe red fruits and cascading inner violet florals. There’s opulence here, yet also the acidity to balance, as the 2018 tapers off long with classically refined tannins, yet leaves the palate perfectly reset for another sip. Frankly, it’s hard to put this glass down. There will be no Riserva produced in 2018, and so all of that juice was used to bolster this open‑knit and seductive Brunello. Drink 2025‑2033. Rated 93. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com October, 2022

Stunning from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is impossible to ignore. This blends an array of dried owers with autumnal spices, cedar-tinged cherries and clove hints in a way that I find wildly appealing. It sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk guided by bright acidity as depths of wild berry fruits and mineral tones saturate toward the close. The 2019 lingers impossibly long, leaving a staining of primary concentration to mingle with grippy tannins and licorice nuances, yet an airy freshness remains through it all. The combination of house style and vintage character here is otherworldly. It will take much willpower to keep our hands off of the 2019 long enough to watch it properly mature. Spellbinding. Drink 2026‑2040. Rated 98. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

A burst of black cherries and cloves gives way to shavings of cedar and lifting hints of mentholated herbs as the dynamic 2020 Brunello di Montalcino comes to life in the glass. This is soothingly round and pliant with an inner sweetness up front and crisp wild berry fruits that cascade across the palate. It's structured and firm, yet its tannins are sweet and round, tapering off with a pleasantly bitter tinge of blackberry and sour citrus. The 2020 aims to please and it is already incredibly approachable today. With no Riserva produced in 2020, all of the juice from Vigna Vecchia Mercatale was used to bolster this spectacular Brunello. Drink 2026‑2038. Rated 95. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

Dusty violets, lavender and cloves accentuate dried black cherries as the dramatic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass. This is impossible to ignore, bursting with energy as depths of ripe red fruits, chalky minerals and exotic spices saturate all they touch, balanced by textures of pure silk. The 2019 finishes with fantastic length and concentration, leaving a staining of tart blackberry and hints of orange that curl the tongue as crunchy tannins tug at the palate. It's rare to see such a combination of vibrancy and power. Canalicchio di Sopra nailed it in 2019. Wow. Drink 2026‑2042. Rated 96. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casaccia is impossible to ignore; it is earthy and mineral, almost smoky and animal in nature. Ashen stones, violets and balsam herbs complicate depths of dried black cherries, sage and clove. This is deeply textural and seductive, balancing ripe red and black fruits with sweet spice and minty herbal tones that create a kaleidoscope of sensation on the palate. A salty flourish shines through the finale, along with a crunchy tinge of blackberry seeds to contrast, as fine-grained tannins wrap the senses with youthful poise and a bitter twang resonates. The 2019 may be immortal. La Casaccia is a showstopper. Drink 2026‑2040. Rated 100. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is coy in the glass, youthfully restrained and requires coaxing to reveal its delicate bouquet. With time, a dusty display of dried roses, licorice, cherries, cloves and camphor emanates from the glass. This model of purity is polished, silky and refined with savory spice and mineral-laden red fruits that saturate, all perfectly guided by brisk acidity. It leaves the palate stained in primary concentration, turning inward upon itself. Tart currant and mentholated herb notes add freshness to a web of fine-grained tannins. The 2019 is a breathtaking interpretation of Montosoli fruit. Drink 2027‑2042. Rated 97. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com November, 2023

The 2021 Percarlo is every bit as stunning from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich and vivid in the glass, with striking complexity, the 2021 is a fine follow‑up to the 2020. The 2021 is a bit tight relative to the 2020, but that is not a bad thing at all. If anything, I look forward to comparing these two monumental wines in a few years' time. For now, the 2021 impresses with its purity of Sangiovese fruit and mind‑blowing balance. Hints of kirsch, blood orange and pomegranate linger on the vivid, exceptionally polished finish. What a wine. Drink 2028‑2042. Rated 99. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2024

The 2019 Percarlo is a wine of reserve. There's terrific purity to the fruit and fine tannins for the year, but also a bit of firmness that needs time to resolve. Bright red-toned fruit, cedar, tobacco, licorice, blood orange and spice open nicely to play off those vibrant tannins. I imagine the 2019 will need a number of years to be at its best. The 2019 spent 22 months in a combination of 30HL casks and 500L in tonneau. Production is down about 25%. Drink 2027‑2049. Rated 97. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2022

The 2021 Chianti Classico is classic wine from the estate, done in the more restrained style that has become the norm here of late. There's plenty of Panzano richness, but more energy and less heaviness than what was common just a few years ago. Giovanni Manetti and his team have given the Chianti Classico gorgeous refinement. Spice, flowers, mocha and blue fruits linger, all wrapped together by ultra-finessed tannins. The 2021 spent 20-22 months in barrel—65% cask and 35% neutral French oak barriques. Drink 2026‑2041. Rated 94. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2024

The 2020 Chianti Classico offers notable tension to balance the natural richness that is such a signature here. There is plenty of Panzano intensity, but less opulence than has been the norm in the past. A shift towards larger format oak and bottling four months earlier contribute to that feel. Dark red cherry, leather, spice, rose petal, dried herbs and wild flowers all grace this nuanced Chianti Classico. It will be interesting to see the direction this bottling takes. I would not plan on opening this too young. Drink 2026‑2040. Rated 92+. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2023

The 2021 Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole is fabulous. In fact, it is the best edition of this wine yet, as it marries all the aromatic intensity and energy of Lamole with an extra kick of fruit and mid-palate pliancy. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, rose petal, crushed rocks and herbs build into the layered finish. What a wine. Drink 2026‑2036. Rated 93. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2024

The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is an elegant, sophisticated wine. Black cherry, plum, new leather, liquorice, cloves and mocha are all amplified. All of the natural intensity of the year comes through in a potent, decidedly virile Vigna del Sorbo. The 2022 spent 12 months in French oak barriques and a second year in French oak casks. 2028 - 2042 94 Antonio Galloni, July 2025 Drink 2028‑2042. Rated 94. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2025

The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is one of the most backward editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Dark and almost somber, the Vigna del Sorbo packs a ton of intensity in its deceptively mid-weight frame. In many vintages, Vigna del Sorbo is quite showy in its youth. That is not at all the case with the 2020, a wine that will require many years to be at its best. Hints of lavender, dried herbs, plum and graphite appear over time, but the 2020 is very clearly an infant. There is a feeling of youthful austerity (in a positive sense) that I find quite alluring. The 2020 Sorbo is a wine for those who can wait. Drink 2027‑2045. Rated 95+. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2023

The 2021 Chianti Classico is superb. Bright and explosive, the 2021 possesses notable energy and tension to play off its natural richness. In most vintages, the San Giusto Chianti Classico is quite open. That is not at all the case with the 2021, where vibrancy acids and tannins dominate. Readers should plan on putting the 2021 away for a number of years. Sweet exotic floral notes lift the finish. Drink 2026‑2041. Rated 93. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2023

The dark ruby 2020 Chianti Classico is ripe with aromas of black raspberry coulis, red flowers, sweet tobacco, and pine. Elegant and medium-bodied, it fills the palate with supple texture, fine tannins, and an even, well-balanced finish. This is a highly approachable wine that I would be fighting to pour by the glass if I were still running a wine program. Pure, classic, and balanced, it’s a gulpable wine will drink great now or over the coming 6-8 years. Drink 2024‑2032. Rated 92+. ‑ Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com January, 2024

The 2020 Chianti Classico is super-impressive. It's the sort of wine that needs time to come together, though, so readers should be in no rush. The purity of the fruit is really quite compelling. Dark cherry, plum, cedar, incense and licorice build nicely in a mid-weight Chianti Classico that hits all the right notes. Drink 2023‑2032. Rated 91. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2022

The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baròncole is a real head‑turner, one of the best versions I have ever tasted. Large‑scaled, ample and wonderfully complex, the 2021 has it all. Black fruit, gravel, spice, licorice and incense saturate the palate. There's a kiss of French oak, but it’s better integrated than in most years. Readers should expect an especially broad, full‑bodied Baròncole. I loved this from barrel, and I love it today. Fabulous. Drink 2027‑2038. Rated 95. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2024

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colonia is fascinating to taste next to the Rancia, as the two parcels are adjacent. Rich and substantial in the glass, Colonia is textured and ample, qualities that become increasingly apparent over time. Rugged, rocky terrain seems to amplify power, explosive verticality and acidity. Drink 2026‑2043. Rated 97. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com September, 2021

An icon wine of Tuscany, the Fèlsina 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia (with 48,000 bottles made) is distinguished by its special aromatic fingerprint that truly brings us to a sense of place. At its heart, the wine reveals dark fruit and plum. More interesting, however, are the dusty mineral sensations that give so much texture and depth to the Rancia. These aromas can only be found in Sangiovese from the galestro and alberese-rich soils of Chianti Classico. This vintage follows up with sweet tobacco, toasted chestnut and scorched earth. Give this wine more time to flesh out and evolve in the bottle. Drink 2024‑2040. Rated 94+ ‑ Monica Larner, robertparker.com February, 2023

Produce of a blend of certified organically farmed fruit (about 90% Sangiovese with the remainder Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia Nera and other local grape varieties) half each from vineyards at Castellina in Chianti at 450 meters above sea level and at San Quirico, located south of Castellina at 270 meters. The soils of both vineyards are a mix of Albarello (limestone) and clay with a rich skeleton of schist which gives the wine a pleasant minerality. On the label of Belcanto, Michelangelo is portayed in a mosaic of Galestro stones, typical of the soil of this terroir. Medium-deep ruby in color fading to a more sanguine garnet at the edges with aromas that are at once a kind of vinous fusion of minerality (indeed, galestro) and dark ripe Sangiovese berries with the telltale scent of the macchia mediterranea and a hint of rose petals after some air (by all means, give this wine the benefit of a good decanting); chiseled and potent on the tongue, holding its shape impeccably well (Darcie called it seamless; Henry noted the tension, the interplay between dark ripe fruit and typical Tuscan Sangiovese astringency) and well‑demonstrating the class and power of the already highly regarded 2022 vintage in Tuscany. Undeniable value in fine Chianti Classico.

Selvapiana in medieval times was one of the watch towers along the river Sieve built with the purpose of protecting the city of Florence on the northeast border. During Renaissance the building was enlarged and transformed into a Villa as a summer residence of noble Florentine families and of the bishops of Florence. In 1827 it was acquired by Michele Giuntini, a successful banker and ancestor of Francesco Giuntini, the present owner and 5th generation to run the property. Since 1997, Selvapiana is run by Francesco’s adopted sons, Federico and Silvia, themselves sons of the former estate manager, Franco Masseti, who worked with Francesco from 1953 to 1990. The property covers 250 hectares in the municipalities of Rùfina, Pontassieve and Pelago, 58 hectares of which are planted to vines, 36 hectares to olives (Selvapiana produce one of the world's finest extra virgin olive oils). The soils are dry and stony with a well‑drained mixture of clay and limestone. Their situation near the Apennines at elevations of 750 to 900 feet allows for greater daytime/nightime swings in temperature and longer hangtime, slower ripening and a certain freshness in the wines. And their Chianti Rùfina is just exceptional. Produce of about 95% Sangiovese with an admixture of Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera; translucent ruby/garnet in color with aromas suggestive of a mixture of wild berries, tanned leather and a fresh herbal macchia mediterranea kind of thing, a hint of roasted coffee bean, then, underneath it all, stone; slips onto the tongue with a certain suppleness, then demonstrates nerve and spine of juicy fruity acidity, gentle chalky tannins and stony underpinning, with length of discreet and delicious mouthwatering Tuscan Sangiovese flavor.

Produce of 100% Sangiovese fruit from vines planted in 1968 and 1992 to the clay and limestone soils here in the Chianti Rùfina zone northeast of Florence; certified organically‑farmed, fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in a combination of French barriques and large casks for some 32 months prior to release: medium translucent ruby to just garnet at the edges with aromas of sanguine red and blue berries, saddle leather, salumi pregiati, ginestra in flower and crushed rocks; cool on entry, then full and potent; velvet in texture on the tongue with vigorous but pliant tannins carrying taut berry and earth flavors long and deep on the finish; this one is just begging for a well‑prepared bistecca alla Fiorentina with, of course, a bit of high‑quality Tuscan olive oil slathered atop.

Dievole covers an area of 600 hectares within the Chianti Classico territory in Vagliagli, about 12 km north of Siena. Beginning from 450 meters above sea level, the medieval hamlet where Villa Dievole is perched, overlooking the valley in which the estate slopes down to the southeast in gentle rolling hills ending at an altitude of around 300 meters. A long cypress-lined avenue leads to the heart of the estate; a stunning Tuscan panorama opens, and from there a dense network of strade bianche alternates with olive trees, vineyards and farmhouses. It is an unforgettable landscape in which nature, history and culture together with centuries of man’s work have created a beautiful land that enchants all who would be enchanted. Here wine and extra virgin olive oil have been produced for nearly a thousand years. Tocca Stelle was born from a desire to produce a high-quality classically Tuscan wine using a vineyard planted 40 plus years ago. Produce of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino from the arguably brilliant 2016 vintage in Tuscany and in a such a good place for drinking right now as almost fully mature wine with just oodles of typicity; limpid ruby to just garnet at the edges with sanguine Sangiovese aromas suggest singed dark berries, leather and the Tuscan underbrush (Henry noted a touch spice like cardamom and nutmeg); dusty dry with a sweet inner core of fruit transformed, almost weightless on the tongue with gentle length of highly complex flavor. It has this taster craving a classic bistecca alla fiorentina prepared with the very highest quality salt. Regularly $40.00 the bottle, on sale now at:

The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna il Poggio is a powerful, tightly coiled wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its best. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. Crushed flowers, herbs, mint, orange peel and spice are suggestive of a savory, vibrant Il Poggio built for the cellar. Today, the 2019 is deceptive, but there is a lot of wine here. It’s a super-classic expression. Drink 2027‑2044. Rated 95+. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2024

Podere Il Palazzino is owned by Alessandro and Andrea Sderci and is located in Monti in Chianti, 20km northeast of Siena in the southern part of Chianti Classico. The estate has a total of about 20 hectares (roughly 50 acres), the greater part of which is dedicated to viticulture and a small part to olive groves. Given the small dimensions of the estate working procedures are strictly manual and the soil is cultivated using organic methods. Grosso Sanese originates from a vineyard covering about 2 hectares just below the casa and cantina of the estate. The fairly compact clay/calcareous soils here are composed mainly of alberese and galestro. The vines are pruned in the spurred cordon method, leaving a maximum of six buds per plant. Production is limited to 5,000 to 6,000 litres per hectare for a total production of about 10,000 bottles per year. Fermentation takes place in 5,000‑liter oak barrels. The wine is refined in barriques made of Alliers oak, thirty percent of which are replaced each year. Here it stays for eighteen months, before the final blending and bottling. The wine then ages for another six months in bottle before being released for sale. Produce of 100% Sangiovese, ruby/garnet to just tawnier at the edges in color with aromas suggestive of leather, the scent of fine cured meats, sanguine and gamy, with further suggestion of teaberry, rose petal, liquirizia and a hint of petrichor following rain on baking summertime soils of alberese and galestro; potent and warming onto the tongue with firm stony but notably fine Sangiovese tannins giving structure and heft, savory and long on flavor to the finish (this took on even more heft with a bit of air). Steak florentine, perhaps, with your Gran Selezione, signore? Sì, sì, sì …

Il Palazzino's Chianti Classico Grosso Sanese is often one of the great wines of Chianti Classico, as it is once again in 2016. Dark, somber and explosive, the 2016 possesses off the charts intensity to match its brooding personality. Black cherry, scorched earth, tobacco, licorice and incense hit the palate. Deep and layered in the glass, the 2016 is superimpressive. What a wine! Il Palazzino is, inexplicably, one of the most under the radar estates in all of Chianti Classico. Alessandro and Andrea Sderci craft, rich, large‑scaled Chianti Classicos that capture all of the natural intensity of Monti in Chianti, where the estate is located. Readers who have not tasted these wines owe it to themselves to do so. Drink 2022‑2031. Rated 96. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2022

Il Palazzino's 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Argenina is terrific. Bright, poised and articulate, the 2019 has a lot going for it. Wild cherry, tobacco, incense, licorice and dried flowers abound in this super-expressive Chianti Classico. Bright acids perk up the finish. I very much like the energy here. This is classic Sangiovese through and through. Drink 2023‑2034. Rated 92. ‑ Antonio Galloni, vinous.com June, 2023

A super-Tuscan blend of 50% Sangiovese from Montepulciano and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon half each from Montepulciano and nearby Cortona, all organically farmed. Deep midnight ruby in color with powerful aromas of plump purple berries, soil and stone (Demetrius noted baking spices, Darcie noted a touch of cocoa, and with more air there was also a sense of petrichor); full throttle and powerful onto the tongue with a notable intensity of flavor, this is a gripping, potent, structured, succulent (Darcie called it generous and chewy) red wine with significant fine tannins suggesting consumption with grilled red meats slathered with Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, slow cooked meats and or strong cheeses; Avignonesi themselves suggest that the wine demonstrates the freshness of Sangiovese perfectly merged with the backbone Cabernet Sauvignon. Sì, è quello.

The 2021 Nobile opens with a minty freshness, with a bouquet of sweet herbs and stone dust giving way to a bright cherry note and autumnal spice nuances. This is sleek and youthfully slender yet packed with tart wild berry fruit tones and a spike of citrus that ride a silken textural wave. Hints of sweet lavender amass toward the close. The 2021 tapers off with potent length and structure, leaving the palate with a pleasantly bitter sensation that calls the taster back to the glass. Give the 2021 a few years to mellow out—it will be worth the wait. Drink 2026‑2034. Rated 92+. ‑ Eric Guido, vinous.com February, 2025.

The Chiacchiera winery founded in 2010 by the family of Emanuela Mancianti and is located in the hills of Montepulciano in the locality of Cervognano just southeast of the town of Montepulciano itself. This is an area most suitable for the production of both wine and olive oil. The name "Chiacchiera" was chosen by Emanuela’s father Mario to highlight the fact that it’s a family business. Mario was given this nickname (chiacchierone means chatterbox in Italian) because his guests would be enchanted by his conversation, just as a good wine should enchant those who drink it. Emanuela, on the other hand, personally and meticulously follows every phase of the farming and the vineyards, leaving nothing to chance. Produce of 90% Sangiovese and the remaining 10% Ciliegiolo, Canaiolo and Mammolo fruit, the wine is a translucent medium ruby fading just at the edges in color; a touch shy on the nose at first then coming to reveal aromas of taut berry, red cherry, dried wild herbs, dusty earth and eventually a kind of sangue d'uva quality; vibrant on the tongue, announcing itself clearly with lots of building energy and expression, then eventually mouthfilling with gentle fresh tannins carrying a burst of fresh flavor toward the finish. Questo vino è semplicemente delizioso!

Monteti takes its name from the hill that protects the vineyard from the strong direct winds of the Mediterranean, guaranteeing a constant, moderate sea breeze and an ideal microclimate. It is composed of roughly 50% Petit Verdot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (l'assemblaggio può variare a seconda dell'annata). The wine is aged 18 to 22 months in medium‑toasted French oak barriques and tonneaux, roughly 3⁄4 new and selected from woods of different origins and from various tonnelleries. It refines in the bottle for 24 months before being released onto the market. Tenuta Monteti seek demonstrate the personality of the terroir — Maremma — in the wine, with Petit Verdot reflecting the depth and intimacy of the forest, the strength and longevity of the stones and its proximity closeby to the sea, while the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon accompany it with classicism and finesse. Dense plum/ruby in color with cedary balsamic aromatics, complimented by notions of macerating fruit and dusty vineyard floor; eventually demonstrably juicy and blue fruited (come prugne blu e mirtilli); chewy, with nice breadth on the tongue and fine resolved tannins distributing flavor just all over the tongue; both structured and generous, and while most certainly bold and powerful as well, the wine, indeed, as Monteti themselves suggest, demonstrates both «depth and elegance», remaining fresh on the finish and coaxing another pull.