We obsess over classically made Sangiovese. In the right hands, Italy’s most widely planted grape can exude a level of grace and class that is up there with some of the most compelling red wines of the world. We thought it would be worthwhile to taste Sangiovese side by side from a few different appellations in Italy and one outlier from Corsica, where it is known as Niellucciu.
Please join us this Friday night (December 14th) from 5:30-7:30 to taste:
2015 Sesti Toscana IGT Monteleccio
2015 Pian dell’Orino Rosso di Montalcino
2014 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico
2011 Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Caparsino
2016 Montevertine Rosso di Toscana Pian del Ciampolo
2012 Antoine Arena Patrimonio Rouge Carco
We think you’ll come away with a new appreciation for one of the most noble, expressive grapes of the world. You can find more details on the exact wines on our site here. The tasting is free, so swing by anytime, but please RSVP if you plan to attend so that we can be prepared for everyone.
And while we’re on the subject, we figured we’d highlight some of the best & brightest of Sangiovese in stock at the shop right now. There’s good quantity of all the wines we’ll be opening on Friday, a host of exciting new arrivals from Tuscany and a few back vintage rarities below.
Keep scrolling for the wines and hope to see you on Friday!
Cheers,
THE WINES
In Order of Price Below
CASTELL’IN VILLA – CHIANTI CLASSICO 2014
24+ BOTTLES AVAILABLE
This estate has a prime hilltop location in Castelnuovo Berardenga. Simply put, these are traditionally made, age-worthy wines. Native yeast fermentation and aged in large Slavonian oak for 24 months. The wines are usually released 1 to 2 years later than most of her peers. There is a pronounced lift to the wines. A remarkable wine for a modest price.
SESTI – ROSSO TOSCANA, MONTELECCIO 2015
24+ BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Giuseppe Sesti was already an accomplished astronomy author and avid opera lover before finally deciding to purchase his own vineyards around the hamlet of Argiano in the early 1990’s. His impetus for having the best raw material prompted him to make natural wine from the get-go. This is pure and unadulterated Sangiovese that is versatile on the table and a pure joy to drink.
CAPARSA – CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, CAPARSINO 2011
24+ BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Paolo Cianferoni began his reign over his estate in 1982, having revitalized the property his family had purchased in 1965. Their vineyards are in the heart of Chianti, with many vines approaching 50 years old and the best of them at 450m above sea level. The winemaking is not technologically advanced, performed with native yeasts in large barrels, and in the cold cellars the fermentations are long. The resulting wines are aged in 10 hL barrels, as he says to not "dry too much the wine." Paolo prefers to keep the production small and to control the process and release of his wines from start to finish. This Riserva spends 30 months in the large barrels and is bottled unfiltered. 2011 was warm, but his vineyards produced fruit of great freshness, full of charming red fruits and spice.
MONTEVERTINE – PIAN DEL CIAMPOLO 2016
16 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
" The 2016 Pian del Ciampolo exudes class and a level of delineation that distinguishes it stylistically (but not qualitatively) from the 2015. Fresh and beautifully nuanced, the 2016 hits all the right notes. A closing burst of lavender, rose petal and mint punctuates the vibrant finish. "
– Antonio Galloni
LE RAGNAIE – ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2015
24+ BOTTLES AVAILABLE
This is a blend of fruit from younger vines in the Castelnuovo dell’Abate zone that the Campinoti family own. This ’15 is a really fine example of the vintage – ripe & bright cherry fruits carried over an impeccably balanced, finely structured frame. Baby Brunello indeed.
FONTODI – CHIANTI CLASSICO 2015
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Fontodi is an estate on a qualitative tear as of late. The wines have been highly regarded for some time but have recently shifted to an even higher gear. We’re pleased with the direction that Fontodi is headed, towards a more traditional, restrained style with more gentle extraction and less new wood influence. Their entry level Chianti Classico is always a benchmark wine for the area – graceful, transparent & pure, with a bit more power & thrust from the warm ’15 vintage.
ANTOINE ARENA – PATRIMONIO ROUGE, CARCO 2012
8 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Antoine Arena is widely recognized as the godfather of the new generation of Corsican vignerons, a remarkable character who continues to turn out some of the most renowned bottles of the island. Arena’s Carco Rouge is a noble beast of a wine, in the best possible way. This is Niellucciu from 30 year vines planted lower in the Carco vineyard on limestone, chalk and clay. The wine pairs its gamy, earthy qualities with dark cherry fruits and just the right amount of funk. Tannins are present but velvety. It’s drinking wonderfully today with a quick decant.
PIAN DELL’ORINO – ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 2015
19 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
Situated next door to famed Biondi Santi estate, Pian dell’ Orino owners Jan and Caroline are passionate about sustainable agriculture and were one of the first estates in Montalcino to be certified biodynamic. Their meticulous work in the vineyards and extensive soil research help them to put the best juice in the glass as possible. The grapes for this wine are sourced from a few different vineyards at around 900-1500 ft in elevation.
LE RAGNAIE – BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2013
12 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
" Bright red. Perfumed, precise aromas of raspberry, strawberry, espresso, minerals and violet. Penetrating, linear and youthfully juicy and fresh, featuring raspberry and bitter cherry fruit flavors given clarity by firm but harmonious acidity and a pronounced mineral component that is very Le Ragnaie-like. This very floral, pristine Brunello has an almost Pinot Noir-like primary quality and superb inner-mouth tension. The finish is extremely bright, long and clean. "
– Ian d’Agata
LE BONCIE – CHIANTI CLASSICO, LE TRAME 1996
2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
MONTERAPONI – CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, IL CAMPITELLO 2014
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE | 5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE
$77.99/BOTTLE | $175.00/MAGNUM
90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo & 3% Colorino from 40+ year old vines, the oldest at the property. This is slow to reveal itself at present but shows beautifully with some extended air time in large glasses or in a decanter. Once it gets going, it’s a wine that you almost don’t need to drink to enjoy because of how kaleidoscopic the aromatics are. This is a more delicate vintage for Campitello, but what it lacks in force it makes up for with complexity. It’s painfully pretty and seamlessly constructed – an irresistible wine that is sure to turn heads for a decade or more. It grabs ahold of you at first sip and doesn’t let go.
MONTERAPONI – CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, IL CAMPITELLO 2012
8 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
" The 2012 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello is a very pretty wine, especially for the vintage. Mid-weight and translucent in style, the 2012 captures the essence of Radda, with sweet, floral aromatics, chiseled fruit and lovely energy. Red berry, spice, tobacco, cedar and rose petal all open up in the glass. A hint of oak comes through on the finish, but otherwise this is a classic-feeling Riserva that will appeal to readers with more traditionally leaning palates. The Campitello emerges from the estate’s oldest vineyard. "
– Antonio Galloni
SALICUTTI – BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, PIAGGIONE 2013
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
" Vivid red. Bright floral and extremely clean aromas and flavors of black cherry, strawberry, sandalwood and minerals are lifted by a very strong note of violet. This very fruity and floral Brunello is a remarkably easy-to-drink, downright pretty wine that has sneaky concentration and a captivatingly complex, suave, multilayered finish. Both violet and black cherry notes echo on your palate long after you swallow. Another knockout Brunello from owner Francesco Leanza, who has transformed Salicutti into one of the world’s benchmark Sangiovese estates. "
– Ian d’Agata
FONTODI – CHIANTI CLASSICO, GRAN SELEZIONE, VIGNA DEL SORBO 2015
18 BOTTLES AVAILABLE | 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE
$89.99/BOTTLE | $189.99/MAGNUM
Fontodi is a benchmark property turning out classic, restrained wines of place that age gracefully. If you are a Tuscan wine lover, this is certainly old news to you. Vintage after vintage, the wines are consistently solid and consistently sought after. While the wines certainly exhibit more silkiness and polish than most Sangiovese based wines, they are far from flashy. There is a palpable but understated class to these wines that sets them apart from their peers. Vigna del Sorbo, now 100% Sangiovese, is increasingly one of the most impressive wines in all of Tuscany.
FELSINA – CHIANTI CLASSICO, RANCIA RISERVA 2013
5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE
"A huge, vibrant wine, the 2013 Chianti Classico Rancia will need at least a few years in bottle to be approachable and much more than that to be at its best. Huge swaths of tannin give the wine its energy and feel. The essence of Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga comes through loud and clear. Readers should expect an especially virile, potent Rancia in 2013. "
– Antonio Galloni
LE RAGNAIE – BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, RAGNAIE VV 2013
6 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
" Bright, fully saturated red. Heavily torrefacted notes dominate the nose at first, and red cherry, potpourri and flint emerge with aeration. Then silky and suave with just about enough freshness to the super-ripe red cherry, spice and mineral flavors. Finishes long and creamy with hints of underbrush and mushrooms. The oak-dominated nose is off-putting at first, but this Brunello is so crammed with ripe fruit that the oak is quickly pushed back into the background. To be clear, the extremely high quality level of all the Brunellos made at this estate in any given year qualifies Le Ragnaie as one of Montalcino’s top six or seven wine estates. Virtually anything that gets bottled at this winery is a standout wine, and that’s information worth knowing. "
– Ian d’Agata
CASTELLARE DI CASTELLINA – TOSCANA IGT, I SODI DI S. NICCOLO 1990
2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
"The 1990 I Sodi di San Niccolo is flat-out great. It boasts tremendous concentration, power and richness. The 1990 can be enjoyed today, but readers who like fully mature wines will want to cellar this for another few years. A blast of dark cherries, flowers and licorice saturates the palate on the huge, building finish. This is a dazzling and marvelously complete wine from Castellare."
– Antonio Galloni
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