October focus: New Releases of Chianti Classico 2018 & Super Tuscan 2019
"Readers will find much to choose from in both 2018 and 2019, two very different vintages full of highlights... the top wines in this report are utterly breathtaking, Chianti Classico and Chianti also offer the consumer so many exceptional everyday values." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
October focus: New Releases of Chianti Classico 2018 & Super Tuscan 2019
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (VN) | HK$8,005.00 | |||||
Vinous (97)The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto La Casuccia is fabulous. A heady, opulent wine, the 2018 possesses tremendous energy to match its explosive personality. The plush fruit and soft, silky curves are pure Casuccia. The 2018 needs at least a handful of years in bottle, as it is a wine that only truly blossoms with time. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 94 (WA) | HK$1,165.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94)Tasted from vat, the Fattoria le Pupille 2018 Poggio Valente is an elegant expression of Sangiovese with just a hint of the freewheeling wildness that characterizes the Maremma region of southern Tuscany. The wine delivers cherry, wild rose, forest fruit and blueberry. Beyond those primary tones are integrated notes of spice and mild tobacco. The wine is put together with careful precision, and all it needs now is more aging time in order to flesh out and build depth. Everything is set, just give it time. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 97 (JS) | HK$3,150.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)A fantastic nose to this with currant, sage, rosemary and rose-petal character. Sweet tobacco and spicy chocolate, too. Very complex. The palate shows lovely depth of fruit with blackberries, blackcurrants and fine tannins. It’s racy and refined with a direct, focused palate. Just a baby. A blend of cabernet sauvignon 60%, merlot 32% and petite verdot 8%. This needs at least two or three years to soften. Try in 2023. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (WA) | HK$2,020.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)To my palate, the 2018 vintage sometimes feels a little too ripe or baked. I was reminded of those characteristics when tasting the Fèlsina 2018 Fontalloro. There is plenty of dark fruit at its core, but this wine also reveals dry tones of jarred oregano, grilled Mediterranean herb, crushed aspirin and graham cracker. The mouthfeel is pleasantly lean and silky, and perhaps the wine delivers more in terms of length than it does weight or texture. A little more bottle age should help flesh out and soften these results. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 95 (JS) | HK$1,739.00 | |||||
James Suckling (95)A perfumed nose of redcurrants, sour cherries, bay leaves and spices. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Dusty texture in the mouth with structure and a bright core of red fruit. Flavourful, ample and tannic finish with length. So serious. From organically grown grapes. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 96 (WA) | HK$3,555.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96)A pure expression of Sangiovese, the 2018 Cepparello is a beautiful expression that speaks to the classic and most exemplary side of this versatile and deeply expressive grape. This vintage is especially bright and ethereal with a true sense of luminosity and clarity that radiates from both the wine's appearance and its fragrant bouquet. Tart cherry and cassis segue to balsam herb and wild violets. To the palate, the wine shows muscle and determination with sweet tannins and impressive depth of favor. Cepparello remains true to its unique identity in this vintage. Production is 42,000 bottles. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 17.5 (JR) | HK$1,100.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (17.5)Panzano in Chianti. 100% Sangiovese grown at 450 m above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks and aged in large oak casks. Lustrous, youthful crimson. Deep dark and minerally cherry nose with hints of raspberries. Compact tangy cherry and raspberry fruit that really deepens on the palate while keeping its nervy intensity. Coating tannins complement the whole. |
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Tuscany | 2 | 97 (JA) | HK$1,800.00 | |||||
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (97)This is savoury, dry in the best possible way, with a ton of red fruits, dried roses and herbs, and waves of fragrance. It’s a successful blend where the Sangiovese is dominant, conferring the wine with its warm personality but the Cabernet Sauvignon adds a touch of austerity to the tannins and a sense of quiet confidence. Turmeric and olive tapenade as it opens, alongside raspberry, red cherry and smoky oak, the whole thing both extremely delicate and intensely fragrant. Can drink now with a short carafe - there are tannins here but they are well defined and finely layered - but it will also age. Small amounts of the 2018 were released last winter, but this September sees the first proper release through the Place de Bordeaux. Ageing 18 months in small French oak barrels, 70% new, plus four months in concrete tanks afterwards. One to look out for - great stuff from the Mazzei family, that has been making wine in Tuscany since the 15th century. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 99 (VN) | HK$3,335.00 | |||||
Vinous (99)The 2019 Siepi continues a trend towards greater finesse and nuance in this wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice, licorice and plum meld together effortlessly in the glass. Dense and layered, with striking detail, the 2019 is so impressive. The flavors are bright, bold and punchy. An exceptionally beautiful and riveting wine, the 2019 is rich and concentrated, but not at all heavy. What a total knock-out. |
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Montepeloso A Quo
(6x75cl)
2019
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Tuscany | - | 92 (VN) | HK$795.00 | ||||
Vinous (92)The 2019 A Quo, Montepeloso’s entry-level red, delivers the goods and then some. Fresh, floral and beautifully lifted, the 2019 offers up a bevy of crushed berry fruit, rose petal and cinnamon, all in a mid-weight style that emphasizes freshness and energy to balance the natural richness of Tuscany's Maremma. Medium in body and wonderfully translucent, the 2019 is an absolute beauty. Best of all, it’s a steal. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (JS) | HK$2,400.00 | |||||
James Suckling (97)Intense aromas of blue fruit, lavender and violets. Some sandalwood, too. Full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and beautiful fruit. Really racy and refined with excellent length. Drinkable now, but a few years of bottle age will make it even more beautiful. Try after 2023. |
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Tuscany | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$3,400.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)In a sense, this wine is like the Bosco dei Sugheri but with the addition of one more grape variety in the blend. The Tua Rita 2019 Giusto di Notri is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot. I tasted the wine shortly after it had been bottled. With 40,000 bottles made, it should start hitting the market now. The Giusto di Notri offers lots of dark primary fruit with important structure and texture in this classic vintage. Blackberry and black plum cede to spice, tar and campfire ash. There's nothing not to like in this vintage that far exceeded initial expectations. I look forward to tasting more Tuscan reds from the excellent 2019 growing season. |