A vintage of 'exceptional textural harmony and finesse'
This is a stellar set of wines from proprietor Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi… In a world in which so many wines have become either hard to find or very expensive, Chianti Classico remains one of the very best values in the world. Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Aug 2023
Last week's wine of the week on jancisrobinson.com was 2020 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico. Samantha Cole-Johnson pronounced herself 'stunned by the value packed into this bottle', the 'blossoming layers' of flavour. We've always been fans of Rocca di Montegrossi, and have followed the estate since the 2000 vintage. We've already sold out of the 2020 on the back of Ms Cole-Johnson's recommendation, but we've got news: 2021 is even better. As Antonio Galloni notes when discussing Chianti on vinous.com, '2021s in particular are some of the most exciting young wines I have tasted in more than 25 years of visiting the region'.
Rocca di Montegrossi is located near Monti in Chianti, in one of the finest sections of Chianti Classico. Proprietor Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has Chianti in his blood; his great-great-great grandfather Baron Bettino Ricasoli found time in between being Prime Minister of Italy (twice) to draw up the rules governing Chianti as we know it today. It is no surprise that Marco is keen to uphold the best traditions of Chianti, and he looks after his vineyards with an eye to future generations here.
Marco considers his Chianti Classico the flagship by which his estate is to be judged. It's always an exceptionally good example of its kind, and in 2021 Chianti was blessed by what Galloni calls a vintage of 'exceptional textural harmony and finesse'. Marco also makes a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione using the best grapes from his historic San Marcellino vineyard. Geremia is his IGT Merlot/Cabernet blend; it turns in high scores year after year, proving (again) the affinity between Tuscan soils and Bordeaux varieties. And Marco calls his Ridolfo a marriage of internationality and tradition. It is a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pugnitello - the latter is an almost-extinct, hard-to-farm but high-quality Tuscan variety. /NT
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available Winter 2023
