Gran Selezione: Can Chianti Classico’s top-tier category rebound?

Giovanni Manetti’s Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a standout in 2016, exuding scents of lavender and mint that showcase the vintage’s soaring aromatics. Made entirely of sangiovese from 40-year-old vines grown on the slopes of
Panzano, in the heart of Chianti Classico, it is vibrant and fresh, characteristics Manetti attributes to the significant diurnal shift. It offers taut, fine-grained tannins, some coming from 18 months of aging in French oak barrels (half new), yet the concentrated cherry and raspberry flavors absorb them. Though the wine is immediately appealing
for its sheer elegance and resonant red-fruit tones, its intense flavors and muscular tannins will benefit from a few years of cellaring.

This is a sultry wine, sangiovese’s bright cherry flavors and edgy acidity smoothed out by the addition of merlot (13
percent) and malvasia nera (seven percent). The wine rested for ten months in barriques (18 percent new), keeping the oak influence subtle as the wine developed a silky texture and finely knit flavors of tobacco leaf, toasted nuts and savory herbs. A note of menthol adds lift to the dark fruit and herb flavors, and the finish is long and elegant.

This wine shows a richer side of the 2016 vintage, with dense flavors of black cherry and dried currant layered with notes of braised fennel and cacao gained during aging in barrels (mostly Hungarian oak). For all of its dark flavors and dense texture, the wine remains lively and balanced, brightened by scents of lavender, menthol, basil and thyme. The flavors speak deeply of Tuscany, though with a modern accent.

Il Poggio is one of the more compelling Chianti Classicos coming out of 2014’s cool and damp growing season, thanks to the vineyard’s well-draining galestro soils, ventilated hillside exposition and the intensive manual work by Laura Bianchi’s team to thin the canopy around the bunches. A traditional blend of sangiovese with five percent of canaiolo and colorino, the wine offers lively flavors of cherry, cranberry and pomegranate driven by brisk acidity and balanced by notes of smoke, dried leaves and blistered cherry tomatoes. Its classic Tuscan flavors call for pairing with tomato-based pasta sauces.

Marco Ricasoli’s grandfather planted the San Marcellino vineyard in 1966, and the vines range in age from 20 to 50 years. They impart a deep concentration that feels especially rich and layered in the warm 2015 vintage. The wine opens with bold cherry and blackberry flavors that take on nuances of tobacco, black olive and dried thyme. The tannins are ripe and chewy, holding the flavors firmly together as the wine progresses to a long, elegant finish.

Duccio Corsini decided to rebrand Zac as a Gran Selezione eight years after its inaugural 2008 vintage, when it was labeled as an IGT wine. A pure sangiovese sourced from the six-acre Gugliaie vineyard, which has been farmed biodynamically since 2015, this captures the vibrant personality of the 2016 growing season in its bright flavors of cherry, raspberry and orange zest and its brisk acidity. The wine rested for 18 months in French oak barrels (50 percent new), gaining polished tannins and rich spice notes that linger on the finish.

The Mazzei family selects grapes for this wine (sangiovese with eight percent malvasia nera and colorino) from the 50 best parcels at the Fonterutoli estate, and ages the wine for 20 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux (60 percent new). The wine shows flavors of ripe black cherry leavened by notes of toasted nuts, tobacco and porcini mushrooms, the darkness of the flavors creating a warm, cozy impression that suggests a pairing with a hearty beef stew.

Marco Ricasoli pulled a balanced and expressive San Marcellino out of the cool, rainy 2014 growing season, which he calls “the most stressful year of my whole life as a producer.” The wine shows good ripeness for the vintage, with dark cherry and blackberry flavors encased in firm, meaty tannins. It includes ten per- cent of pugnitello, a small-berried native variety that ripens reliably even in challenging vintages. Its dark, savory fruit tones are balanced by sangiovese’s bright acidity, while notes of dried thyme and oregano give the wine a distinctly Tuscan personality.

September rains and cool temperatures at harvest mitigated the hot, dry summer of 2016 here, allowing Volpaia to bring in a juicy Chianti Classico. Its red-cherry flavors are concentrated enough to absorb the vanilla spice gained during its two years in new French oak barrels, the wine maintaining energy and lift through the finish.

Colledilà is the most balanced of Ricasoli’s three single-cru Gran Selezione labels we tasted from the 2016 vintage. Culled from sangiovese planted in calcareous soils, it offers flavors of ripe cherry, strawberry and pomegranate brightened by notes of menthol and dried florals. The wine picks up hints of tobacco and forest floor that add depth. Approachable now, it should age well, too.

This is a blend of sangiovese, with five percent each cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, selected from the best parcels of this estate’s 560 acres. The wine’s ripe flavors of dark cherry and plum reflect the warmth of the 2015 vintage, its fruit tones enriched by subtle spice and loamy earth tones.

Vicchiomaggio’s 84 vineyard acres lie near the town of Greve in Chianti Classico’s northern sector. In 2016, they rendered a wine with scents of pink petals, lavender and mint that lead into tart, citrus-tinged red berry flavors. Its vivid acidity and medium body make it a match for roast pork.

Bibbiano elevated this wine from Riserva to Gran Selezione in the 2014 vintage. The estate is located in Chianti Classico’s southern sector, where the clay soils tend to give powerful wines, but the Montornello vineyard has a northeast exposure and lighter, limestone-rich albarese soils that yielded a bright, high-toned wine in 2016. Raspy tannins frame its flavors of crunchy cherry and cranberry, notes of orange zest and cool green tree-sap highlighting its lean lines.

This is the second release of Roncicone, produced with sangiovese from a 27-acre plot of vines planted between 1998 and 2000. It comes out of an extensive zoning study Francesco Ricasoli conducted over the 560 vineyard acres on his estate, which identified five main soil types. Roncicone’s “marine deposit” soils are a mix of sand, clay and pebbles that yielded a high-toned, redfruited wine in 2016, with fresh cherry and strawberry flavors accented by notes of menthol and lavender. The flavors fade a bit too quickly, leaving a lean and austere impression, but the project merits attention as it progresses in the coming years.

The Tolaini estate sits in Chianti Classico’s southernmost commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, where the clayladen soils produced a velvety Gran Selezione in the warm and dry 2015 vintage. The wine, a pure sangiovese, unfolds with flavors of black cherry and dark plum accented by notes of toasted nuts and sweet spice gained during 18 months in French oak barriques. Hints of cherry pit and roasted mushroom lend a savory balance to the rich fruit and oak flavors.

The Tolaini estate sits in Chianti Classico’s southernmost commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, where the clayladen soils produced a velvety Gran Selezione in the warm and dry 2015 vintage. The wine, a pure sangiovese, unfolds with flavors of black cherry and dark plum accented by notes of toasted nuts and sweet spice gained during 18 months in French oak barriques. Hints of cherry pit and roasted mushroom lend a savory balance to the rich fruit and oak flavors.

Lively acidity and fine-grained tannins give a seamless structure to this wine’s high-toned red berry flavors. The blend (sangiovese with ten percent of colorino, canaiolo and ciliegiolo) reflects this estate’s emphasis on native Tuscan varieties, and vines of up to 40 years of age impart balance and concentration. A wine of classic elegance and restraint, it has the structure and freshness to improve over the next decade.

Enrico Pozzesi sources this sangiovese from Viacosta, a south-facing amphitheatershaped vineyard in Castellina in Chianti. The wine rested for three years in large oak casks, developing notes of tobacco, cured meat and black pepper that layer over its dark cherry and black currant fruit. With its powerful tannins, this will appeal to Brunello lovers.

The Bianchi family’s Riserva fires on all cylinders in the 2016 vintage, unfolding with black cherry and red currant flavors framed by dusty tannins and laced with notes of thyme and lavender. The flavors are taut and precise, already highly expressive yet with the potential to age gracefully.

This is a full-bodied sangiovese from a vineyard in Panzano. The wine aged for 30 months in Slavonian casks, developing dark cherry flavors balanced by notes of tobacco and roasted game. The wine’s ripe, powerful tannins will benefit from a few years of cellaring.

Angela Fronti is a dynamic young winemaker who farms her high-elevation vineyards around Radda and Gaiole organically. She combines fruit from three vineyards for Riserva Levigne. Aged for 18 months in Slavonian oak casks, the wine shows the sunny character and power of the 2015 vintage in its flavors of dark cherry, menthol and thyme, while maintaining verve.

Ser Gioveto was labeled as an IGT until this vintage. It includes ten percent each of cabernet sauvignon and merlot that impart flavors of black currant and dark plum. Those fruit flavors glide on smooth tannins refined during aging in French oak barriques, where the wine gained notes of chocolate and espresso that enhance its bold profile.

This pure sangiovese from Chianti Classico’s southern Castelnuovo Berardenga commune shows classic flavors of juicy morello cherry accented by notes of Tuscan herbs and framed by firm, ferrous tannins. Aged in large Slavonian casks for two years, the wine shows good freshness for this vintage, with plenty of mouthwatering acidity to preserve the flavors over the next several years.

This is a plush and velvety Chianti Classico, with ample notes of toast, vanilla and baking spice on red cherry and plum tones. The wine shows good freshness and acidity, suggesting a few years in the cellar will allow the fruit and oak to further integrate.

This 2,500-acre estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga, owned by California’s Jackson Family Wines, sources grapes for its Riserva from south-facing blocks, where the fruit ripens into flavors of black raspberry, cassis and roasted red pepper. Ten months of aging in French oak barriques enriches those deep fruit tones with notes of dark chocolate, vanilla and peppery spice.

Cafaggio’s San Martino bottling offers a more international take on Chianti Classico than its Solatìo (also recommended). This one includes a combined 20 percent of cabernets sauvignon and franc that add dark tones of blackberry and black currant to the wine, with hints of spice and polished tannins from 18 months in French
oak barriques.

Flavors of cherry, licorice and spice take on savory notes as this wine sits in the glass. The fruit (sangiovese with ten percent unnamed varieties) comes from the Fonterutoli estate in Castellina in Chianti, and the wine aged for one year in French oak barriques and tonneaux, half of which were new. Its dark and meaty flavors are a match for pasta in a rich ragù.

From Chianti Classico’s northern commune of San Casciano Val di Pesa, this Riserva shows flavors of ripe black cherry that verge on sweetness, balanced by tangy acidity and notes of orange peel. Raspy tannins and notes of savory tomato skin give the wine a pleasant, rustic appeal.

Verrazzano owns 105 vineyard acres in the Greve commune, where the limestone-rich soils yielded a concentrated Riserva in 2015. The wine rested in new French oak barrels for two years, developing dark spice notes that deepen its cherry flavors, and firm tannins that call for braised pork or grilled game.

Sangiovese culled from vineyards in Panzano’s Conca d’Ora and aged for 18 months in Slavonian casks produced this rich, full-bodied wine. The flavors of dried cherry and blueberry jam reflect the warmth of the 2015 vintage; they are matched by powerful, meaty tannins that need hearty food, like braised beef cheek pappardelle.

Snappy red cherry flavors take on notes of basil and cherry tomato in this medium-bodied Riserva.

This sangiovese includes fruit from biodynamically farmed plots in the Greve, Gaiole and Radda. It shows good freshness for the vintage, with a pleasantly tart edge to the red and black cherry flavors, and muscular tannins that will benefit from a year or two of cellaring.

Alfred Schefenacker’s high-elevation vineyards in this 33-acre Castellina in Chianti estate produced a dense and savory wine in 2016, its flavors of cherry and red currants permeated with notes of roasted tomato and savory herbs. It shows good depth and persistence, finishing with bright notes of orange zest.

Angela Fronti’s annata bottling is bright and balanced, its snappy black-cherry flavors accented by notes of mint, fresh tobacco and wild thyme. She culls the sangiovese (100 percent) from the family’s high-elevation vineyards in Radda and Gaiole, where cool evening breezes helped preserve fresh acidity even in the hot and dry 2017 vintage.

This comes from biodynamically farmed, high-elevation vineyards, and the wine’s tart cherry and strawberry flavors capture the brightness of the 2016 vintage. Notes of peppery spice and crunchy herbs add to the appeal.

Maurizia Di Napoli’s 2017 annata from her biodynamically farmed vineyards in Panzano offers succulent flavors of seeded red berries, with great verve and personality in the layers of lavender, rosemary and sage. The flavors persist on a long and balanced finish.

Grown in high-elevation vineyards in Gaiole-in-Chianti, this has a high-toned freshness, with flavors of red cherry and pomegranate buoyed by lively acidity. Notes of menthol and graphite add depth and dimension.

Marco Ricasoli’s rocky vineyards in Monti, a high-elevation subzone of Gaiole-in-Chianti, yielded a juicy, mouthwatering and concentrated Chianti Classico in the warm and dry 2017 vintage. Its flavors of black cherry and raspberry show an inner brightness and lift that meshes well with the mint and sage notes. The flavors stay taut through the finish and will complement a wide range of dishes.

Husband-and-wife team Josephin Cramer and Jarkko Peränen produced this succulent, energetic annata from just 22 acres of organically farmed sangiovese vines rooted in limestone-rich soils. They vinify the wine entirely in unlined concrete vats, giving an unimpeded expression to the flavors of fresh sour cherry, raspberry and orange peel. The mouthwatering acidity makes it a great wine for the dinner table.

Scents of lavender and violet signal a purple-fruited wine, its dark cherry and plum flavors layered with notes of cedar, thyme and oregano. The dark fruit feels ripe and warm, fortified by rich, meaty tannins.

From 50 acres in Castelnuovo Berardenga, this is packed with flavors of cherry and raspberry brightened by notes of lavender and mint. Dusty tannins weave through the wine, revealing hints of smoke and cedar as the wine takes on air.

As with his Riserva, Enrico Pozzesi sticks to tradition for this Chianti Classico annata, a blend of sangiovese with ten percent of canaiolo and colorino. He ages the wine for 15 months in large Slavonian oak casks, giving a powerful wine with grippy, ferrous tannins and dark fruit flavors layered with notes of graphite and dried cherry. Decant it before serving to give those tannins time to soften.

Yields were down in the drought-stricken 2017 vintage, but the Stucchi-Prinetti family credits years of organic farming with improving the drought resistance of their vines. The 2017 Chianti Classico shows good freshness for the vintage, with delicate flavors of red cherry, tobacco and green peppercorn.

Here’s an approachable, easygoing Chianti Classico, with red cherry and pomegranate flavors accented by notes of crunchy herbs.

The Losi family traces its winemaking roots back to the late 19th century, when Tranquillo Losi worked the vines as a mezzadro (sharecropper) before buying vineyards in Castelnuovo Berardenga in 1954. The family retains a traditional approach with this wine, a blend of sangiovese with ten percent canaiolo that ages in large oak casks. It offers dark cherry and raspberry flavors laced with herbs and firm, fine-grained tannins.

Sourced from Castellina vineyards, this wine includes ten percent merlot and five percent cabernet sauvignon, adding a distinctive green-pepper note to the red berry and cherry flavors. Soft tannins and lively acidity give the wine an immediate appeal.

This is light and delicate for the warm 2017 vintage, its morello cherry flavors edged with notes of mint and thyme. A good choice for roast chicken.

Notes of cedar and mint accent this wine’s sour-cherry flavors. It’s a pleasant match for pasta or pizza.

This is dark and savory, with flavors of dried cherry, baked plum, tobacco, thyme and rosemary. Drink it now, as the fruit shows signs of fading.