Wine & Spirits - Spring 2022 - 80

Top Loire Wines
pineau, and, as appealingly light as this wine
may be, it lacks a bit of depth. § Regal Wine
Imports, Moorestown, NJ
CABERNET FRANC
Top Tuscan
Sangiovese
90 | Domaine de
la Haute Olive
Our blind panels tasted 76 Tuscan
Sangioveses for this issue. Stephanie
Johnson, our Italian wine editor, chose
these 16 as the top performers; an
additional 5 Best Buys follow the top
selections. Find a complete list of wines
tasted and all reviews at
wineandspiritsmagazine.com.
$22
2019 Chinon Le Chêne Vert (BEST BUY) ^
Sixth-generation grower Bruno Sourdais
took over his family's domaine in 1991.
He farms organically, including this 2.5acre
parcel where he grew a powerful, black
cherry-inflected Chinon in 2019, tinged with
graphite. The strong tannins might seem less
aggressive next to something braised, like
saucy eggplant or beef. § Schatzi, Milan, NY
BRUNELLO DI
MONTALCINO
97 | Fuligni
$251
2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva ^ The
Fuligni's estate is in Montalcino's northeast
quadrant, where the high elevations cause
temperatures to drop sharply at night. Those
conditions combined in 2016 with a long and
even growing season to produce this exciting
Riserva. The wine is effortlessly concentrated
and powerful, its deep flavors of dark
cherry layered with notes of fresh tobacco
and mortared herbs underlined by a firm
streak of graphite. Scents of violet and lavender
enhance the wine's graceful personality
as vibrant spice notes draw out the long,
harmonious finish. § Empson USA, NY
97 | Il Poggione
$140
89 | Fabien Duveau
$29
2019 Saumur-Champigny Les Menais
(BEST BUY) ^ " The fruit sings beautifully, " said
Jonathan Eichholz of NYC's The Modern,
calling out this wine's spectrum of red cherry
flavors-from the fresh fruit to cherry tart,
cherry jam and cherry gastrique. It lacks the
savory appeal of cabernet franc, but the layers
of its fruit offer plenty of pleasure. § Schatzi
Wines, Milan, NY l
2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Vigna Paganelli ^ This Riserva is made only in
the best vintages, and the long, even growing
of 2016 certainly qualifies. The fruit comes
from a single vineyard planted in 1964, the
old-vine depth apparent in a wine that is
intensely concentrated yet never heavy. Its
dark cherry and plum flavors are packed
with notes of herbs and spices that ride on
deep, gravelly tannins, lifted by scents of rose
petal and lavender. Mouthwatering acidity
propels the flavors as the wine takes on notes
of graphite, tobacco and underbrush. Powerfully
elegant, this is built to age. § Terlato Wines
Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL
96 | Poggio di Sotto
$300
2017 Brunello di Montalcino ^ This is one of
those wines that you feel compelled to drink,
not just taste. The nose entices with scents of
red cherry, vine-ripened tomato and a hint
of blood orange. The texture is smooth and
harmonious, with no sharp edges but plenty
of verve. Subtle spice notes are perfectly
integrated, energizing the vivid fruit flavors
and coaxing you to take another sip. Beautifully
refined and balanced, it is hard to resist
now, yet will give pleasure over many years
to come. § Winebow, NY
95 | Castiglion del Bosco $210
2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Millecento
^ A firm graphite core anchors flavors
of rich dark cherry and ripe plum in this
superbly balanced and expressive Riserva.
That mineral impression carries through
as the wine unfolds in layers of dark chocolate,
cacao and subtle spice, even as scents
of crushed lavender add lift. A surge of cool
acidity draws the flavors together toward
a persistent and energetic finish. § Maisons
Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA
95 | San Carlo
$65
2016 Brunello di Montalcino ^ In 1968, Fulvio
Marcucci bought 25 acres near Tavarnelle,
in Montalcino's southwest sector, and
began planting vines. Gemma Marcucci, his
granddaughter, now manages the estate's 7.4
vineyard acres with her father, Giancarlo.
Their 2016 Brunello is simply gorgeous, a
wine for those who appreciate nuance and
aromatics over power and density. Aromas of
rose petal, thyme and orange peel infuse the
flavors of fresh red cherries. The wine keeps
gaining energy over several days, broadening
the palette of herbal accents into oregano
and lavender that impart a compelling
sense of place. It is worth seeking out some
of the 6,000 bottles made by this under-theradar
producer, and, while you're at it, look
80
WINE & SPIR IT S
S PR IN g 202 2
https://www.schatziwines.com/wine/haute-olive-chinon-le-chene-vert-2019/ http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com https://www.schatziwines.com/wine/saumur-champigny-cabernet-franc-varrains-les-menais-2019/
Wine & Spirits - Spring 2022

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