Wine & Spirits - Spring 2022 - 83

Chianti Classico
Our blind panels tasted 90 Chianti
Classico wines for this issue. Stephanie
Johnson, our Italian wine editor, chose
these 16 as the top performers. Several of
the wines hail from Radda, one of the new
UGAs in Chianti Classico, which Johnson
profiles on page 34. Find a complete list of
wines tasted and all reviews at
wineandspiritsmagazine.com.
ANNATA
92 | Riecine
$25
2020 Chianti Classico (BEST BUY) ^ Riecine's
vineyards lie in the north of Gaiole and
reach as high as 1,960 feet above sea level;
all have been organically farmed since the
1970s. Alessandro Campatelli took over as
winemaker in 2015, and the current releases
were some of the most impressive Chianti
Classicos we tasted this year. The 2020 Chianti
Classico offers an appealing mix of red
and black cherry flavors enlivened by notes
of thyme and oregano. The raspy tannins,
pleasantly savory, give it a Tuscan flair and
make it a perfect match for tomato-based
sauces. § Classic Wine Selections, Chicago, IL
91 | Querciabella
$33
2019 Chianti Classico (BEST BUY) ^ Sangiovese
from estate-owned vineyards in Greve,
Gaiole and Radda forms the basis for this
lively wine. Its red-cherry and cranberry flavors
are tangy and fresh, tinged with hints
of orange peel and framed by taut, raspy
tannins that make it an excellent partner at
the dinner table. As with all of Querciabella's
wines since 2010, it is vegan-friendly. § Maisons
Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA
91 | Rocca di Montegrossi $30
2019 Chianti Classico (BEST BUY) ^ Marco
Ricasoli's Gaiole estate saw ample rainfall
during the growing season and stable
weather at harvest, giving a wine with round,
ripe tannins and persistent dark cherry and
blackberry flavors woven with notes of licorice.
A layer of cool graphite balances the
dark fruit tones and reinforces the wine's
firm structure. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley,
CA/Skurnik Wines, NY
90 | L'Erta di Radda
$26
2019 Chianti Classico (BEST BUY) ^ This wine
is a superb value and showcases the lithe,
high-toned style that is typical of Radda.
Diego Finocchi co-ferments his sangiovese
with five percent canaiolo to enhance the
wine's floral and spicy notes; he ages it in
2,000-liter untoasted barrels, keeping the
focus on the pure red fruit. Notes of orange
zest weave through the crunchy red cherry
and raspberry flavors, and the wine maintains
energy and focus through the finish. §
North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA
88 | Carpineto
$21
2019 Chianti Classico (BEST BUY) ^ This easydrinking,
floral-scented wine offers flavors of
fleshy dark cherry and hints of underbrush.
It's perfect for a Wednesday-night roast
chicken. § Opici Wines, Glen Rock, NJ
RISERVA
93 | Riecine
$40
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva ^ Alessandro
Campatelli's team produces this wine
with sangiovese from Riecine's high-elevation
vines. One of our tasters described it as
" exactly what I want from a Riserva, " a wine
that shows concentration without weight,
combining pure flavors of red cherry and
tangy berries with lifted scents of rose petals
and orange peel. The wine gains deep savory
notes with time in the glass even as mouthwatering
acidity keeps the red fruit fresh and
buoyant. § Classic Wine Selections, Chicago, IL
91 | Brancaia
$50
2018 Chianti Classico Riserva ^ A blend
of sangiovese with 20 percent merlot from
Brancaia's vineyards in Castellina and Radda,
this Riserva's deep color matches its richness
on the palate. It unfolds with flavors of fleshy
black cherry layered with notes of tobacco
leaf, espresso and anise. Its dark and muscular
style will appeal to Brunello drinkers. § E.
& J. Gallo, Modesto, CA
91 | Querciabella
$50
2017 Chianti Classico Riserva ^ This pure
sangiovese is composed of fruit from Querciabella's
best plots in three UGAs: Greve,
from soils that are mostly sandstone and
clay; Gaiole, with its limestone-rich albarese
soils; and Radda's galestro soils. Coming out
of the hot and dry 2017 vintage, the wine's
tangy red-cherry flavors and buoyant acidity
speak of the high elevations of these plots (up
to 1,800 feet). Scents of lavender and rosemary
showcase the wine's Tuscan character. §
Maisons Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA
S PR IN g 202 2
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92 | Podere Campriano
$61
2017 Chianti Classico Riserva Fondatore ^
This small family farm near the village of
Greve planted vines for this Riserva in 1980.
It opens on a lean and savory note, gaining
more fleshy cherry and plum flavors with
time in the glass, picking up notes of dried
thyme and tobacco, even as it maintains a
cool mineral aspect through the finish. § Kermit
Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
91 | Badia a Coltibuono
$36
2017 Chianti Classico Riserva ^ This Riserva
represents a selection of the estate's best
grapes and then the best casks after the first
year of aging. The 2017 is dark and dense,
with compact, chewy tannins that frame the
black-cherry flavors. Notes of licorice and
dried herbs add a distinctively Tuscan flair. §
Dalla Terra, Napa, CA
https://www.ertadiradda.it/en/ http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com https://www.brancaia.com/en/products/wines/chianti-classico-riserva/
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