2021 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (750ml)

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

#13 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024

Ruby red, with fine hue and intensity. Spicy nose with notes of blossoms, wild berries, and mineral tones. Notes of spice and crisp fruit on the palate, with self-confident but supple tannins, and impressive structure and breed.

TASTING NOTES:

The core of cherry, pomegranate and raspberry fruit is detailed with Tuscan scrub, iron, vanilla and tobacco notes as this intense red builds in power to the expansive conclusion, where its fruit, mineral and wild herb flavors converge. Shows fine balance and length; this just needs time to absorb the oak. Best from 2027 through 2043.

– Wine Spectator, 95 pts.

A well-composed, balanced and refined riserva with aromas of cherries, dried thyme, bark and warm spices. Its medium-bodied with fine tannins. Dense and textured on the palate, with fine structure and poise. Focused and well defined, with a long, flavorful, vivid finish.

– James Suckling, 93 pts.

The nose is defined by the tartness of dried cherries, dried cranberries, hibiscus, blood orange and wild strawberries. Strawberries and raspberries headline a sweeter palate, but a fresh salinity provides balance, and sturdy tannins structure a hot finish.

– Wine Enthusiast, 92 pts.

In the bottle with the black label, the Flsina 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Berardenga is shaped by ripe fruit, slate-like mineral notes and toasted oak. There is a charred element of campfire ash or spent ember that surrounds a core of blackberry and black cherry. The oak element is a little too much, especially at this young stage in the wine’s life.

– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 91 pts.