Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 124

SPECIAL REPORT: CHIANTI CLASSICO
CHI A N T I C L A S S ICO
GR A N S E L E Z ION E
276706

97 | Fontodi

$95

2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Vigna del Sorbo ^ Giovanni Manetti's Gran
Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a standout in
2016, exuding scents of lavender and mint
that showcase the vintage's soaring aromatics. Made entirely of sangiovese from
40-year-old vines grown on the slopes of
Panzano, in the heart of Chianti Classico, it
is vibrant and fresh, characteristics Manetti
attributes to the significant diurnal shift. It
offers taut, fine-grained tannins, some coming from 18 months of aging in French oak
barrels (half new), yet the concentrated
cherry and raspberry flavors absorb them.
Though the wine is immediately appealing
for its sheer elegance and resonant red-fruit
tones, its intense flavors and muscular tannins will benefit from a few years of cellaring. §
Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY
276716

95 | Castello di Ama

to thin the canopy around the bunches. A
traditional blend of sangiovese with five
percent of canaiolo and colorino, the wine
offers lively flavors of cherry, cranberry and
pomegranate driven by brisk acidity and balanced by notes of smoke, dried leaves and
blistered cherry tomatoes. Its classic Tuscan
flavors call for pairing with tomato-based
pasta sauces. § MW Imports, White Plains, NY
276683

94 | Rocca di Montegrossi

$75

2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Vigneto San Marcellino ^ Marco Ricasoli's
grandfather planted the San Marcellino vineyard in 1966, and the vines range in age from
20 to 50 years. They impart a deep concentration that feels especially rich and layered in
the warm 2015 vintage. The wine opens with
bold cherry and blackberry flavors that take
on nuances of tobacco, black olive and dried
thyme. The tannins are ripe and chewy, holding the flavors firmly together as the wine
progresses to a long, elegant finish. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

$60

2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
San Lorenzo ^ This is a sultry wine, sangiovese's bright cherry flavors and edgy acidity
smoothed out by the addition of merlot (13
percent) and malvasia nera (seven percent).
The wine rested for ten months in barriques
(18 percent new), keeping the oak influence
subtle as the wine developed a silky texture
and finely knit flavors of tobacco leaf, toasted
nuts and savory herbs. A note of menthol
adds lift to the dark fruit and herb flavors,
and the finish is long and elegant. § The Sorting Table, Napa, CA
274865

'276707

93 | Principe Corsini

$60

$70

2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Zac ^
Duccio Corsini decided to rebrand Zac as a
Gran Selezione eight years after its inaugural 2008 vintage, when it was labeled as an
IGT wine. A pure sangiovese sourced from
the six-acre Gugliaie vineyard, which has
been farmed biodynamically since 2015, this
captures the vibrant personality of the 2016
growing season in its bright flavors of cherry,
raspberry and orange zest and its brisk acidity. The wine rested for 18 months in French
oak barrels (50 percent new), gaining polished tannins and rich spice notes that linger on the finish. § Total Beverage Solutions,
Mount Pleasant, SC
275839

2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Vigna Il Poggio ^ Il Poggio is one of the more
compelling Chianti Classicos coming out of
2014's cool and damp growing season, thanks
to the vineyard's well-draining galestro soils,
ventilated hillside exposition and the intensive manual work by Laura Bianchi's team

2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello Fonterutoli ^ The Mazzei family selects
grapes for this wine (sangiovese with eight
percent malvasia nera and colorino) from the
50 best parcels at the Fonterutoli estate, and
ages the wine for 20 months in French oak

94 | Marchesi Antinori

$60

2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Badia a Passignano ^ This wine shows a richer
side of the 2016 vintage, with dense flavors of
black cherry and dried currant layered with
notes of braised fennel and cacao gained
during aging in barrels (mostly Hungarian
oak). For all of its dark flavors and dense texture, the wine remains lively and balanced,
brightened by scents of lavender, menthol,
basil and thyme. The flavors speak deeply of
Tuscany, though with a modern accent. § Ste.
Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, WA
275699

94 | Castello di Monsanto

124

WINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

93 | Mazzei

$74

barriques and tonneaux (60 percent new).
The wine shows flavors of ripe black cherry
leavened by notes of toasted nuts, tobacco
and porcini mushrooms, the darkness of the
flavors creating a warm, cozy impression that
suggests a pairing with a hearty beef stew. §
Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
276685

93 | Rocca di Montegrossi

$64

93 | Castello di Volpaia

$80

92 | Ricasoli

$85

91 | Ricasoli

$70

2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Vigneto San Marcellino ^ Marco Ricasoli
pulled a balanced and expressive San Marcellino out of the cool, rainy 2014 growing
season, which he calls "the most stressful
year of my whole life as a producer." The wine
shows good ripeness for the vintage, with
dark cherry and blackberry flavors encased
in firm, meaty tannins. It includes ten percent of pugnitello, a small-berried native
variety that ripens reliably even in challenging vintages. Its dark, savory fruit tones are
balanced by sangiovese's bright acidity, while
notes of dried thyme and oregano give the
wine a distinctly Tuscan personality. § North
Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
274915
2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Coltassal September rains and cool temperatures at harvest mitigated the hot, dry summer of 2016 here, allowing Volpaia to bring
in a juicy Chianti Classico. Its red-cherry flavors are concentrated enough to absorb the
vanilla spice gained during its two years in
new French oak barrels, the wine maintaining energy and lift through the finish. (W&S
2/20) Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
276371
2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Colledilà ^ Colledilà is the most balanced
of Ricasoli's three single-cru Gran Selezione labels we tasted from the 2016 vintage.
Culled from sangiovese planted in calcareous soils, it offers flavors of ripe cherry, strawberry and pomegranate brightened by notes
of menthol and dried florals. The wine picks
up hints of tobacco and forest floor that add
depth. Approachable now, it should age well,
too. § Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA
276373
2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio ^ This is a blend of sangiovese,
with five percent each cabernet sauvignon
and petit verdot, selected from the best parcels of this estate's 560 acres. The wine's ripe
flavors of dark cherry and plum reflect the
warmth of the 2015 vintage, its fruit tones
enriched by subtle spice and loamy earth
tones. § Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA
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Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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