A taste of Tuscany’s new releases
Wines are listed within their DOCG regions and relevant vintage, then by score, and then alphabetically by producer. Availabilty and UK allocations for some wines may not yet be finalised – please contact specialist merchants for details.
Chianti Classico 2018
1 Monteraponi 91
Monteraponi’s Michele Braganti finds similarities in the 2018 vintage with the 2010, from the development of the vines and grapes throughout the growing season to the consistency of the berries’ skins as well as the perfume of the must during vinification. Aromas are pretty, with great clarity of fresh, invigorating green herbs, forest brush and wild raspberry. The palate is generous with scrumptious fruit and an easy-to-drink, fluid texture. Fine, elegant tannins slink across the palate culminating with a sensation of crushed rocks. Organic. Drink 2020-2026 Alcohol 13.5%
2 STANDOUT PRODUCER Rocca di Montegrossi 91
£20 Stannary Wine
Recurring rainy periods throughout the growing season made it a challenging one for organic producer Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi. He credits the constant winds inherent to the area of Monti, in Gaiole in Chianti, for helping to keep the grapes clean and healthy through to the harvest. While not immediately charming, Rocca di Montegrossi’s annata wine demonstrates impressive concentration and tannin structure for this 2018 vintage. It’s a very youthful wine with great energy and freshness on the palate, but it’s still fairly tightly wound. I would give it a few more months in bottle before approaching. Organic. Drink 2021-2027 Alc 14%
3 STANDOUT PRODUCER Montesecondo 90
This brings together two vineyard sites in San Casciano, one at lower altitudes on clay and marl soils, the other at 500m on well-drained limestone. Silvio Messana uses some whole clusters, fermentations are spontaneous and ageing is in predominantly concrete tanks. The 2018 is joyfully youthful, almost grapey in nature and very pure, offering a mouthful of crunchy cherry, raspberry and redcurrant. Tannins are wispy and fleeting, but there is plenty of invigorating acidity on the finish. Note the refreshingly low 12% alcohol! This is hard to resist for all of its exuberance and primary freshness. Organic. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12%
Fattoria Cigliano di Sopra 89
Aged in their early 20s, Maddalena Fucile and Matteo Vaccari met while studying oenology together in Florence. Since 2016, the pair have been producing minuscule amounts of Chianti Classico from Fucile’s family vineyards on the hill of Cigliano in the area of San Casciano in Val di Pesa. This wine starts shy, with notes of thyme blossom, sage flower and cedar slowly unfurling, then crisp red berries emerging on the palate. Light structure with some fine-grained
