Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: New releases in 2023

First produced in 1985, Vigna del Sorbo sits alongside Flaccianello at the apex of Fontodi’s range. It was elevated from Riserva to Gran Selezione with the introduction of the category in 2014. The vineyard extends over eight hectares with the oldest plantings now well over 50 years old. The 2020 is slow to reveal itself – even with coaxing, aromas aren’t completely forthcoming. Eventually, subtle hints of sundried tomato and grilled herbs evolve to darker tones of violet and liquorice. True to its western Panzano origins, the framework is firm and sturdy. Tight with a concentrated core but not overly dense, there's a richness to the tannins. Finishes with savoury black plum and toast.

The second vintage released as a Gran Selezione, this hails from a one-hectare parcel at the top of the estate’s Gittori vineyard in Gaiole. Picked on 3 October, the 2020 is evocatively scented, offering a captivating array of cherry, dusty earth, alpine flowers and pine. The palate is tangy, with concentrated, zesty acidity emphasising orange and cranberry. The tannins have a fine, powdered quality and become quite dense on the finish. While it needs a bit more time to come together, this just-bottled wine shows plenty of promise.

My top pick from Mazzei’s 2020 Gran Selezione lineup, Badiòla seems to have benefited from the generous warmth of the vintage. It still unequivocally expresses its cool 570-metre climes in the UGA of Radda with its lightweight, sinewy flow. But there's sneaky stuffing and concentration to cushion the steely backbone. Mocha inflections allude to refining in small French oak tonneaux, but there's a lighter touch with the wood here. Very pretty, pure raspberry, blood orange and floral notes ring out. Positively crisp in acidity.

Purchased in 1984, the Fizzano estate is comprised of 35 hectares of vines with an expansive southwestern exposure on gentle slopes. The 2020 is already showing its charms with strawberry, plum and pepper making way for hints of hyacinth and anise. Well-weighted, it's ample and generous though not heavy, packed with youthful fruit and a real juiciness. The tannins are chalky and restrained, and there's lovely balance. This is refined predominantly in 35hl oak barrels with just a small percentage in barriques.

Effe 55 comes from a two-hectare northeast-facing plot at 550 metres above sea level and includes the estate's oldest vines, which were planted in 1970 to Sangiovese clones from Montalcino. A mellow yet promising nose exhibits red currants laced with stony mineral and seductive truffles. Attractively textured with wood that frames rather than imposes, the tannins are firm and the acidity crisp. Blood orange lingers on the finish. Elegant and understated, this promises to express more with time.

A blend of the estate’s four historic vineyards – Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni – from plantings that are at least 25 years old, this bottling is, for now, Castello di Ama’s flagship Gran Selezione. There's plenty to unpack here. A top note of vanilla complements red cherry, tobacco and thyme. Diving into the palate, the juicy red plum core is nuanced by freshly turned earth and rose. Assertive in personality but equally gracious, it's hard to resist at the moment. Those well-formed tannins of polished wood, and charming grapey scratchiness should keep this in nick for the next eight to 10 years.

Under new direction, Castello di Meleto now offers four Gran Selezione, three of which come from single plots. Poggiarso is the estate’s highest site at 550 metres, and while it's mostly west facing, the Gran Selezione is crafted from a warmer south-facing pocket called Poggio Vipere. Attractively restrained, it shows subtle fragrances of cinnamon, alpine flowers and sweet garden herbs. The palate is unforced and elegant, bringing in red raspberry with a touch of cocoa and porcini. Crisp acidity meets fine, taut tannins that are silky in texture.

The highest of Villa Calcinaia’s single vineyards, Bastignano rises from 270 to 300 metres on terraces supported by stone walls. While east facing, it's an open, luminous site. The bedrock is Montefioralle’s classic Alberese – white calcareous stony soil rich in limestone. Open and expressive, the nose offers sweet spice and leafy tobacco, while there's a wild woodland berry character throughout. The palate is round and smooth but with its signature inner firmness. Salty minerality and chalky tannins provide complex contrast.

Villa Calcinaia has come out with a very solid set of Gran Selezione in 2019. All three single vineyards are within the Montefioralle UGA, demonstrating the diversity within a single sub-area. La Fornace is a south-facing vineyard at 230 metres on predominantly sandy soil with some grey clay. Redolent of terracotta bricks, dry, dusty earth and baked stone, its aromas evoke the territory on a hot summer day. Full, with brambly red berries, this is an accessible wine with loose, powdery tannins that caress rather than grip. Mediterranean herbs, particularly sage, meet minerally iron notes as this lingers on the finish.

Sofia Ruhne purchased the five-hectare San Piero a Sillano plot in 2015 to make a fresh style of Sangiovese. With an east-facing aspect at 500 metres, it's a unique parcel in the Montefioralle UGA as it is characterised by Pietraforte rather than Alberese soil. It starts with striking aromas of iron and savoury, stony mineral notes, then floods the mouth with liquorice, currants and black cherry. Vertical and direct, the structure matches the clear fruit with steely tannins and positively crunchy acidity. The finish reverberates with its intrinsic tanginess. Energetic, balanced and characterful.

Sessina is a south-facing 5.5-hectare vineyard on Macigno (sandstone soil) but with a vein of limestone running through it. It shines in the fresh 2019 vintage – it's the best bottling of this wine that I have tried. Vibrantly scented with mint, sage and a hint of chocolate. The dark plum core is ripe yet crunchy, with tannins which are smoothly textured and tug in the right places. Refined and elegant but not lacking in depth, this boasts an enticing interplay of warm Mediterranean balsamic notes with cooler forest tones. Delicious.

As with the estate’s annata, this Gran Selezione sees a healthy dollop of the rather obscure Pugnitello and Abrusco varieties – both lending a dark purple hue. As of 2020, their inclusion will be reduced from the current 20% to just 10% of the blend. Discreet scents of undergrowth and moist earth meld with tea, tobacco and thyme. Round and flattering, the wine envelops the palate. As it expands, it demonstrates its vigour. Dry tannins around the edges should soften further with time, yet this is nevertheless immediately inviting.

Querciabella’s second Gran Selezione release is the realisation of a decade-long vineyard study to create a single vineyard Chianti Classico. It hails from a 500-metre site in the hamlet of Ruffoli, within the UGA of Greve. Intense aromas of coffee, grilled fennel and eucalyptus are followed by a refreshing blood orange flavour which invigorates the dense dark cherry core, finishing with lingering incense. There's a charming accessibility here as skillfully extracted tannins are chewy yet supple. While I don’t suspect this will be the longest-lived offering from Querciabella, this delicious wine interprets the vintage well and deserves a place in the cellar.

Previously bottled as an annata, Palazzino’s Argenina has now been elevated to Gran Selezione, meaning the estate’s entire Chianti Classico production now falls into this category. It comes from a vineyard in the southern reaches of Gaiole on limestone-rich, fluvial terraces. An autumnal whiff of chestnut is followed by fetching heather and cinnamon stick. Elegant and fine framed, it presents as midweight and linear at first, then fleshes out across the palate. Tangy acidity persists throughout, and there's a subtle yet confident grip of tannins on the finish.

The San Marcellino vineyard takes its name from the neighbouring Romanesque church. In 2018, owner Marco Ricasoli picked Sangiovese from this site early to avoid botrytis and blended it with a slightly higher percentage of Pugnitello than usual to make up for any lack of ripeness. Vibrantly fruited and exuberant, it's bursting with dark cherry and plum, countered by brisk acidity and cinched in by chalky tannins, while the polished oak is starting to integrate. Hints of green herbs and brushwood show up on the finale.

The only west-facing hill on Villa Calcinaia’s property, the Contessa Luisa vineyard is bathed in the afternoon sun. With a predominantly clay soil and less limestone than Bastignano, it's the densest and most concentrated of the three Gran Selezione, yet balanced in its proportions. Vanilla, mint and thyme permeate sundried plum and dark cherry. Broad, well adjusted tannins expand across the palate, while sappy acidity makes the mouth water.

Visiting Il Palazzino’s rustic, cluttered tasting room is like walking back in time. As for the wines, they are non-conformist and a bit edgy, but full of soul – above all, the Grosso Sanese bottling. This 100% Sangiovese began life as a Vino da Tavola in the 1980s before joining the ranks of the DOCG in 1996, and finally became a Gran Selezione with the 2015 vintage. The current release, 2016, features a bouquet of leather, incense, mint tea and wild game; decidedly tertiary but by no means tired. The palate is equally savoury and earthy, as forest undergrowth and bitter roots permeate dark black currants. Fully charged with waves of firm tannins, this demands a rare steak.