Just like their varied terrain, Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano’s recent
vintages have been a mixed bag. TOM MARESCA and RICHARD BAUDAINS
guide you through the latest releases, and highlight the star performers
Postcard pretty, the castletopped and cypress-outlined hills and valleys of Tuscany heartland sprout more and more vineyards with each passing year. As the reputation of Tuscan wine has grown in the last decade, from Florence southward, beyond Siena, new vineyards have appeared and old ones been refurbished. The star of Sangiovese ascended through a series of good-to-excellent vintages, until 2002 presented the first of what has turned out to be several bumps on the road – a terribly mixed metaphor, but an accurate assessment of recent harvests, whose highs and lows have been as varied, and sometimes as precipitous, as the landscape they spring from. Almost all those peaks and valleys were on display this February when the consortia of Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile and Brunello – the three most prestigious Tuscan wine zones – staged a week-long presentation of their new vintages releases – well over 600 wines in all. Despite the many variables, a few generalisations are possible. 2003 was very hot all over Tuscany, but after the disastrously rainy 2002, it was greeted by winemakers and wine writers with more enthusiasm than it really deserves. ‘I think people expected too much from this vintage, coming after the bad 2002,’ says Mauro Monicchi, winemaker at Tenute Silvia Nardi in Montalcino, and summing things up – kindly. Some good wines were made, but careful selection is as crucial for consumers now as it was five years ago for the producers. By contrast, 2004 showed uniformly well in all three zones. 2005 started out as a pretty decent growing season, but heavy late rains almost spoiled it. 2006 provided a decent – but no more – vintage, as good in Chianti Classico as in Montalcino.
The prospects for 2007, at present still in barrel, appear very fine: producers were uniformly pleased with it, though quantities are very small. Generalisations end there, however… Chianti Classico ‘The weather tells you everything about these vintages,’ Giovanna Stianti of Castello di Volpaia explains. ‘2005 was a much more difficult year in the fields. 2006 was a good year. 2007, for us, was great – maybe not so good for those whose vineyards aren’t as high as ours, because it was so warm, but for us, great. It was 2005 that attracted particular comment, Stianti pointing out that the vintage saw ‘a lot of rain [fall] just before the harvest’. The result? ‘Many of the grapes were not so healthy as 2006. It required a lot of work in the cellar. It was a good enough harvest to allow us to make a normale and a riserva, but that required careful selection because the riserva has to last much, much longer than the normale – so there was a little sacrifice made in the normale.’ As a consequence, for the 2005 Chianti Classicos, the riservas are outperforming the regular bottles, while at estates like Monteraponi, no normale was even made in 2005: ‘We just bottled a small amount of riserva and sold off the rest of the grapes,’ says owner Michele Braganti. Larger estates tell similar stories. Luigi Cappellini, owner of Castello di Verrazzano, accurately sums up: ‘2005 riserva is much better than the 2005 normale: we made a very rigorous selection for it. Everyone did that, because today, the Chianti Classico riserva has become our most important wine, as opposed to a few years ago when the Supertuscans were. In 2008, everyone’s best grapes go into the riserva.’ (For more on the plight of Supertuscans, see p48.)Happily, 2006 presented no such problems, yielding a very enjoyable basic wine and showing every sign of making a wine riserva. I found most of the 2006 Chiantis very enjoyable: mainly made in a more traditional style, showing lovely garnet colour, pretty black cherry aromas, and delicious Sangiovese fruit, with abundant acidity to structure and keep them supple. This is a vintage for Chianti fans to relish.
Below are my standout wines from all the current vintage releases. The best of the new Chianti Classicos:
Castellare di Castellina, Chianti Classico
Riserva 2005 ★★★★★
A complex blend of Sangiovese; earth,
mineral, and wood flavours, seemingly
capable of very long life. 2009–2020.
£9.95 (2001); Fo5, LSF
Castello di Cacchiano, Chianti Classico
Riserva 2003 ★★★★★
Lively, ripe fruit, kept supple by fine acidity;
complex and polished; an excellent wine,
especially for so hot a vintage. 2008–2018.
N/A UK; +39 0577 747 018
Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico
2005 ★★★★★
Vivid black cherry aromas and flavours;
polished and elegantly powerful. 2009–
2020. £12.50–£13.99; Cmb, HcW, Swg
Castello di Monsanto, Chianti Classico
Riserva 2005 ★★★★★
Similar to the Castellare di Castellina, but
a bit leaner and a bit more elegant.
2009–2020. N/A UK; +39 0558 059 000
Castello di Monsanto, Il Poggio, Chianti
Classico Riserva 2005 ★★★★★
Prunes and oak on nose and palate; a great
wine in the making, but needs time. 2012–
2025. N/A UK; +39 0558 059 000
Castello di Querceto, Chianti Classico
2006 ★★★★★
Bright, lively, and thoroughly invigorating
wine – a lovely, classic Chianti. 2008–2012.
£8.83 (2005); JHa
Castello di Verrazzano, Chianti Classico
2006 ★★★★★
Cherry and earth aroma; almost smoky
fruit on palate, smooth and mouthfilling.
Should get even better with a little time.
2008–2012. N/A UK: +39 055 290 684
Castello di Verrazzano, Chianti Classico
Riserva 2005 ★★★★★
Slightly closed, but a large-scale,
Sangiovese-dominated Chianti, juicy and
long finishing. Needs time. 2010–2022.
N/A UK: +39 055 290 684
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico
Riserva, Coltassala 2005 ★★★★★
Complex aroma of black and dried cherry
and minerals; palate follows suit, with
even more mineral tones. Evidently
structured to last long. Very fine.
2010–2025. N/A UK; +39 0577 738066
Felsina, Chianti Classico Riserva, Rancia
2004 ★★★★★
Big and composed, with characteristic
Sangiovese flavours interlaced with earth
and toast. 2009–2022.
£29.98–£32.27; ACh, F&R,
PipFontodi, Chianti Classico Riserva, Vigna
del Sorbo 2004 ★★★★★
With black fruits and light toast on nose
and palate, this is slightly closed, but
evidently fine and beautifully structured
for bottle-ageing. 2010–2022.
£149.69 (case of 6); Evy
Isola e Olena, Chianti Classico 2006
★★★★★
Toasted wood on the nose, excellent fruit
on the palate. Lovely balance, great
elegance. 2008–2012. £14.49–£19.98
(2005); ACh, Ave, AVW, Ben, Grr, Hig, ScC,
SoD, Sta, WMn, You
Principe Corsini, Le Corte, Chianti Classico
Riserva, Cortevecchia 2004 ★★★★★
Big and round, with a lovely nutty finish;
excellent fruit, earth, and wood
components just beginning to knit; will
age well. 2010–2022. £19.98; WnW
Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico, Chianti
Classico, Contessa di Radda 2005 ★★★★
A toasty nose, with fine black cherry fruit
on the palate, laced with some wood
tannins and lively acidity. 2008–2012.
£9.38; Goo
Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico, Chianti
Classico, Geografico 2006 ★★★★
Tobacco and mint mingles with
Sangiovese cherry on the nose and
palate; fresh and well balanced. Very
pleasing. 2008–2012. £9.90; Ava
Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico 2006
★★★★
Fresh, with lovely cherry and tobacco
flavours and a long, fruity finish.
2008–2012. £18.52; Csv
Barone Ricasoli, Brolio, Chianti Classico
2006 ★★★★
Big, sweet fruit, pronouncedly black
cherry. Great acid/tannin balance. A very
nice wine indeed. 2008–2012.
£10.49–£13.99 (2005); AGW, Cmb, You
Barone Ricasoli, Castello di Brolio, Chianti
Classico 2004 ★★★★
Walnuts and black cherries; excellent
acid/tannin balance. Should live
reasonably long. 2009–2019. £24.94; WDi
Barone Ricasoli, Chianti Classico Riserva,
Rocca Guicciarda 2005 ★★★★
Complex and intriguing: cherry, tobacco
and oak/vanilla scents, with flavours
integrating nicely. 2010–2020. £12.97; AGW
Carpineto, Chianti Classico 2006 ★★★★
Slightly closed, but a big, structured wine,
with dark cherry and tobacco tones.
2008–2012. £9.49; Ave, Teg
Casa Emma, Chianti Classico Riserva 2005
★★★★
At the moment, the Sangiovese is just
beginning to whip the wood flavours into
shape. A deep and complex wine that
needs some time. 2010–2020. £24.99; Ths
Casaloste, Chianti Classico 2005 ★★★★
Toasted oak and cherry in the aroma and
mouth: pleasing. 2008–2012. £13.95; Jer
Castello di Bossi, Chianti Classico, Berardo
Riserva 2003 ★★★★
Prunes and black coffee on the nose;
lovely ripe Sangiovese flavours, with no
evident greenness – no small
accomplishment in 2003. 2008–2018.
£25.99; ScC
Castello di Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico
Fonterutoli 2006 ★★★★
A beautiful black cherry aroma precedes
excellent fruit and bright acidity on the
palate. Very enjoyable. 2008–2012.
£11.99–£17.49; AGW, F&M, Imb, WDi
Castello di Monsanto, Chianti Classico
2006 ★★★★
Luscious fruit: a mouthful of black
cherries. Delightful. 2008–2012.
N/A UK; +39 055 805 9000
Castello di Uzzano, Chianti Classico 2006
★★★★
Chocolate, cherries and earth notes, laced
together by fine acidity; well balanced.
2008–2012. N/A UK; +39 055 854 4851
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico
2006 ★★★★
A well structured, very elegant wine
(elegance is the hallmark of this estate)
that needs a little time to integrate.
2009–2014.
N/A UK; +39 0577 738066
Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico
Riserva 2005 ★★★★
Sweet cherry fruit floating serenely over
espresso and undergrowth: a supple,
complex and polished wine. 2010–2020.
£17.99 (2004); Adn
Cecchi, Chianti Classico, Messer Pietro
di Teuzzo 2006 ★★★★
A fine example of the very traditional
style in Chianti – not lush, but
concentrated and deep. 2008–2012.
£13.36; WSr
Cecchi, Chianti Classico Riserva, di
Famiglia 2005 ★★★★
Fruit-forward, long finishing – a very
pleasing wine. 2009–2019.
£14–£17.95; TSW, Vik
Fattoria, La Ripa, Chianti Classico 2006
★★★★
Cherry and more cherry, right into the
long juicy finish. 2008–2012. £11.39; Lai
Felsina, Chianti Classico 2006 ★★★★
Nicely balanced oak and fruit; a big wine
(typical of the estate) that needs a little
time. 2009–2014. £15.99; Ave, Teg
Melini, Chianti Classico, Granaio 2006
★★★★
Espresso and black cherry in the nose and
mouth: very internationally sleek in style.
2008–2012. £8.80; Goo
Monteraponi, Chianti Classico 2006
★★★★
A traditionally styled Chianti, all
Sangiovese in nose and palate: very brisk
and enjoyable. 2008–2012.
N/A UK; +39 055 352 6601
Rocca dell Macie, Chianti Classico Riserva,
di Fizzano 2004 ★★★★
Aroma of cherry-vanilla ice cream; on
palate, new wood, black cherry, and some
mineral, almost flinty, notes. Needs a little
time to amalgamate, but sound
international-style wine. 2010–2020.
£19.46; Cib, IWI
Rocca di Montegrossi, Chianti Classico,
Vigneto San Marcellino 2004 ★★★★
Coffee and underbrush aromas; good
balance of mineral and fruit flavours on
the palate. Dark and intriguing.
2008–2014. £28.95; Han
Ruffini, Chianti Classico, Ducale Oro
Riserva 2004 ★★★★
Smooth and round; already well knit and
beginning to shed some primary fruit
flavours for more evolved undergrowth
and mineral tones. Very fine. 2009–2020.
£20.11; F&R
San Felice, Chianti Classico, Il Grigio
Riserva 2005 ★★★★
Good Sangiovese character, with
interesting complexity and depth.
2009–2019. £12.99–£15.19; Hed, IWI
Tenuta di Lilliano, Chianti Classico Riserva
2005 ★★★★
Well structured but slightly closed, with
coffee, chocolate, cherry just emerging:
needs time. 2010–2020. £13.79; Dvy
Villa Cafaggio, Chianti Classico 2006 ★★★★
Slightly closed, but big and structured
and marked by deep Sangiovese flavours.
Give it time. 2010–2017.
£10.44–£12.47; Cal, Deh, Pan, WaD
Villa Cafaggio, Chianti Classico Riserva 2005
★★★★
Underlying Sangiovese is masked by the
oak, but will integrate soon. 2010–2020.
£14.94–£16.79; Hed, HoT
Brunello di Montalcino
As if they didn’t have enough problems (see Brunello on the Brink, p52) Montalcino producers had the hardest cross to bear at this year’s tastings, since the wines’ ageing requirements obliged them to show the tough 2003 vintage of Brunello alongside the easy-drinking 2006 Rosso. 2003’s preposterous four-star rating simply made the deficiencies of many of the wines all the more glaring. With very few exceptions, 2003 Brunello offered very ripe-to-overripe fruit, green tannins and high alcohol. Where the fruit showed best, the wines will make approachable drinking for the next five years or so – but these are not wines for long cellaring. The 2006 Rosso, on the other hand, made quite delightful drinking, with a lot of fresh Sangiovese character and good structure: the best of them will probably last as long as the 2003 Brunellos. Filippo Paoletti of Lisini explains: ‘2003 was a very difficult year – very dry, very hot. It was important to leave lots of leaves on the vines, to shade the grapes. Not one of our best wines, but we are proud of it. 2006 is one of the best harvests: the Brunello will be very good. We had rain at the right times, good sunshine – we couldn’t ask for more.’
The top Brunello di Montalcino
Costanti, Brunello 2003 ★★★★★
A juicy wine, fresh, and yet structured,
with good fruit, accessible tannins and
lively acidity. 2010–2020.
£34.31–£36.44; Ben, GrrLisini, Brunello 2003 ★★★★★
Classic Brunello from aroma to finish:
intense Sangiovese fruit, with mineral
and mushroom undertones; good acidity
and approachable tannins. 2010–2020.
£174.44 (case of 6); F&R
Tenuta di Sesta, Brunello 2003 ★★★★★
Underbrush, dried mushrooms and dried
cherries in the aroma; intense black
cherry fruit in the mouth. Very, very good.
2010–2020. N/A UK; +39 0577 835 612
Casanuova di Cerbaie, Brunello 2003
★★★★
Very ripe dried-cherry scent, with earth
and undergrowth afterwards. On the
palate, dark fruit with earth and mineral
tones. Muscular, with a possibility of
longer life than most from this vintage.
2010–2025. N/A UK; +39 0577 849 284
Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, Brunello
2003 ★★★★
Toasted wood and earth aromas over ripe
fruit; likewise on palate, with enlivening
acidity and tannins beginning to soften.
Needs a little time. 2010–2020.
£344.81 (case of 12); F&R
Sesti, Brunello 2003 ★★★★
Well structured and drinkable: very ripe
fruit, lively acidity, no harsh tannins.
2009–2017. £33; Jer
Tenute Silvio Nardi, Brunello 2003 ★★★★
Dried cherry and underbrush nose; wood
sweetness plays over classic cherry palate;
well balanced. 2009–2017. £26.95; Hax
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
In 2005, Vino Nobile suffered the same tribulations as Chianti. It was a vintage that had to be made in the cellar, with all the disadvantages that entails – principally, in this zone, the temptation to cover defects in the grapes with abundant oak. I was beginning to worry about a seeming loss of direction in this appellation, when my opinion was turned around by a series of vertical tastings arranged by producers outside the formal showing of current vintages. Carpineto offered its 2003, 2001, 1997, 1995, 1990 and 1988s. Contucci showed samples of three decades: 2003, 1993, 1983. Palazzo Vecchio presented every vintage from 2005 to 1990. In each case, the progression was eye-opening – a steady development and opening of flavour and depth. Contucci, a family that has been making wine in this zone and doing business out of the same stately palazzo since the 16th century, topped things off with its 1983, the oldest wine of week. It was superb – an aroma of forest floor, mushrooms and stone, a palate of still-live, supple fruit, with a deep, complex minerality, and a finish of mushrooms and earth. The conclusions implied by such verticals are intriguing. ‘Old ways are best,’ one journalist whispered. Was Vino Nobile (and maybe Chianti Classico and Brunello) a better wine before barriques? Probably. Was it better with Malvasia? Perhaps. But the most important fact revealed by these tastings is simply this:from the best producers, Vino Nobile matures slowly and steadily, in all sorts of vintages, into a beautifully balanced, almost claret-like wine of great depth. The whole appellation really forms a sort of time warp: it is, emphatically, not a wine of instant gratification.
Top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Contucci, Vino Nobile, Riserva 2003
★★★★★
Superb for the vintage: excellent fruit and
minerality; tannins still a bit hard, but
they will soften in time. 2010–2025.
N/A UK; +39 0578 757 006
Palazzo Vecchio, Vino Nobile 2004
★★★★★
A large-scale wine with soft tannins and
ultra rich cherry/berry fruit; a wine built
for long ageing. 2009–2020.
N/A UK; +39 0578 724 170
Poliziano, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★★
Toasted wood, characteristic Sangiovese
cherry notes, distinctive sharp minerality,
all nicely balanced; this is a great example
of its breed. 2008–2015. £21.95; Pip
Avignonesi, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
Light oak and Sangiovese aromas,
followed on palate by excellent black
cherry fruit, with a satisfying fresh fruit
finish. Supple and enjoyable. 2008–2015.
£16.56–£17.24; AWO, Ben, Grr, Rsv
Boscarelli, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
Nice mineral nose, good round fruit on
palate, fine nutty finish: a very complete
wine. 2008–2015. £16.74 (2004);
BatContucci, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
Balanced and smooth, with the distinctive
Montepulciano minerality, this wine
needs a little more time to really bring its
fruit to the fore. 2009–2018.
N/A UK; +39 0578 757 006
Contucci, Vino Nobile Riserva 2004
★★★★
Already showing some complexity and
depth among its primary cherry flavours,
this interesting wine could develop well
for some years. 2010–2025.
N/A UK; +39 0578 757 006.
Del Cerro, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
This wine has an intense black – almost
dried – deep cherry nose and palate,
marked by some still hard tannins.
2010–2020. £12.54 (2002); Flg
Fassati, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
Incredibly true to the breed, this wine
boasts excellent fruit, good acidity and
moderate tannins – a perfectly
representative Vino Nobile. 2008–2015.
N/A UK; +39 0684 4311
Lodola Nuova, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
New oak vanilla aroma, the palate is
balanced, with the Sangiovese atop the
wood. 2010–2020. £142.94 (case of 6); Evy
Nottola, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
Excellent fruit and nice acidity make the
oak that seems so prominent in the
aroma unobtrusive on the palate.
2010–2020. N/A UK; +39 0578 707 060
Palazzo Vecchio, Vino Nobile 2005 ★★★★
A very enjoyable wine, all mineral and
fruit on the nose, round and fruity on the
palate, with soft, easy-drinking tannins.
2008–2020. N/A UK; +39 0578 724 170
Palazzo Vecchio, Vino Nobile, Riserva 2003
★★★★
Aromas of mushrooms and underbrush,
cherries and blackberries with a touch of
vanilla on the palate and a strongly
mineral finish: this wine is intriguing all
the way through. 2009–2025.
N/A UK; +39 0578 724 170
Written by Tom Maresca
