Vinous (96)

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is fabulous. Bright, vibrant and intensely aromatic, the 2016 is total seduction right out of the glass. Intense floral/spiced aromatics, red/purplish berry fruit, spice, tobacco and mocha all race out of the glass in a wine that brilliantly marries power with finesse. The Aluigi is a Gran Selezione for the first time in 2016. It's quite simply one of the finest wines I have tasted from Le Cinciole.

Vinous (96)

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is fabulous. Bright, vibrant and intensely aromatic, the 2016 is total seduction right out of the glass. Intense floral/spiced aromatics, red/purplish berry fruit, spice, tobacco and mocha all race out of the glass in a wine that brilliantly marries power with finesse. The Aluigi is a Gran Selezione for the first time in 2016. It's quite simply one of the finest wines I have tasted from Le Cinciole.

Vinous (95)

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is a terrific follow up to the stellar 2016. Rich, deep and explosive, the Aluigi saturates the palate with dark fruit, leather, tobacco, spice, menthol and espresso notes. This ample, full-bodied Panzano Gran Selezione hits all the right notes. The marriage of elegance and pure power is compelling.

Decanter (97)

This is delicious! Finds a good gear and runs with it through to a lengthy finish. Seductive cherry, graphite, sweet spice and red forest fruit aromas flow onto a beautifully harmonious and complex palate, conveying a tender texture of dark cherry and plummy fruit that’s carried by perfectly pitched tannins. The flavours linger long in the mouth. It will make many red wine devotees swoon.

Decanter (97)

This is a stunning wine with a complex cherry, prune, herbal, leather and balsamic bouquet. Excels on the concentrated and succulent palate, with lovely mouthfeel and lots of spicy, smooth, fleshy tannins, superfine acidity and great length. A classic gourmand style per eccellenza perhaps but remarkable from any angle. (Platinum Medal)

Vinous (92)

The 2018 Chianti Classico Vigna Mezzuola is a gorgeous, mid-weight wine. Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berry fruit, tobacco, orange peel and spice are nicely pushed forward in this translucent, mid-weight Chianti Classico that delivers so much Sangiovese character.

Wine Advocate (93)

This wine is made with fruit from the estate's youngest vines that are now 20 years old. The organic Monteraponi 2021 Chianti Classico is Sangiovese with 5% Canaiolo from high-elevation alberello or bush-trained vines. Vintner Michele Braganti and his talented team turn out some of the most elegant expressions from this part of Tuscany. This wine showcases the unique house style despite its so-called entry-level status. Indeed, it punches above its price point to offer delicate berry nuances, wild violet, crushed limestone and more finessed nuances. Average annual production is from 35,000 to 40,000 bottles, and this is an excellent value buy.

Decanter (95)

From Gaiole, with free-draining soils, the land has formed a natural amphitheatre with southwest-facing slopes at 500m. The 2016 vintage produced intensely aromatic, structured wines. After hand-harvesting, the wine was fermented in stainless steel with regular breaking of the cap, before being transferred to Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months. Aldo Fiordelli: Dense on the palate with silky ripe tannins, cherry fruit and a concentration of darker fruit, along with perfectly integrated structure. A great wine, with great potential. Andrew Jefford: Sweet and elegant aromas: fine leather, fresh red fruits, bay leaf, underbrush, a hint of fungi porcini – everything you hope for, quietly expressed. Intense and vibrant: a super wine. More dominated by its acidity than many, but that acidity is singingly bright and packed with fruit flavour. The tannins are like silk rope: smooth yet ample and gathered. Very beautiful and engaging, long, concentrated and intense. Monty Waldin: Clear, precise ripe red fruit, lovely balance and compactness to this. Drinking Window 2020 - 2028

Wine Advocate (91)

Here's a great, easy-drinking wine from beautiful Tuscany. The 2016 Chianti Classico is a full and generous wine from a classic vintage. The wine is streamlined and elegant, but this Sangiovese-based red wine has intense fruit and oak spice in equal measure.

Vinous (92+)

The 2016 Chianti Classico is an explosion of floral-infused aromatics and red-toned fruit, all in the super-classic mid-weight style that is such a signature of the Querciabella house style today. Rose petal, lavender, mint and sweet raspberry fruit are pushed to the forefront. This is the first vintage in which more than half of the wine was aged in larger format oak ranging from tonneau to cask. Vineyards in Gaiole and Greve form the core of the blend, with a touch of fruit from Radda. The 2016 has enough freshness to drink well for another decade plus, but I would give it a few years in bottle for the bright acids to integrate a bit further. There are a number of pricier wines in Querciabella's range, but I am not sure any of them can match the Chianti Classico for pure pleasure. What a lovely wine it is.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2016 Chianti Classico impresses for the heightened level of vibrant freshness and aromatic precision that distinguishes it in a large playing field. Proprietor Maurizia di Napoli tells me that the 2016 growing season was not without its ups and downs. Farming was difficult, and not all sites came to ripeness with the same consistency because it was cooler toward the end of the growing season. Castello dei Rampolla avoids the use of sulfites in winemaking. However, these results are stunning, especially as this is positioned as a more affordable wine. The blend is 85% Sangiovese, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot.

James Suckling (93)

A classic Chianti Classico with plums, strawberries and peaches on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a long, linear finish with brightness and focus. Juicy finish. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two.

Decanter (94)

Since taking the reins at Riecine in 2016, winemaker Alessandro Campatelli has crafted a Riserva from the 2.6ha 50-year-old Gittori vineyard. It ferments in concrete Nomblot tanks and ages in large untoasted French oak casks from Burgundy cooper Grenier. Pretty strawberry notes provide a backdrop for cinnamon, cardamom and forest brush to shine through. The tannins are supple and powdery, while penetrating acidity rings out on the finish. Plenty of concentration for ageing.

Decanter (93)

As high temperatures in mid-August shut down the ripening of Sangiovese, Marco Ricasoli reports picking approximately a week later than usual. He also introduced a sorting table to remove dried or green berries as well any pieces of stems. His resulting annata is pristine and sophisticated. Deep violet in colour and equally youthful on the nose, it exudes wild berries, black plum, and hints of wood spice. Tangy dark red cherry fills the mouth, buoyed by rambunctious acidity and framed by suede-textured tannins. Winter mint and liquorice root linger on the finish. With admirable complexity, this outperforms its category.

Wine Advocate (98+)

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red Wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 55% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of candied violets, red roses, black raspberries and fragrant earth over a core of cassis, wild blueberries and Morello cherries with a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully balanced velvety tannins and seamless freshness framing the opulent black and red berry layers, finishing very long and perfumed. 670 cases were made.

James Suckling (96)

Aromas of bark, spices, sandalwood, and lavender, as well as joyous ripe fruit. Full-bodied, round and powerful with an impressive backbone of tannins and length. Needs at least three to four years to soften. Try in 2021.

Wine Advocate (94)

From a balanced vintage that delivers acidity and structure, the organic 2021 Chianti Classico reveals a shiny dark garnet color and a clean, mid-weight appearance. There's so much energy and vibrancy on the bouquet, which is a quality that Sangiovese achieves when growing conditions are ideal. Tangy cherry, cassis, blue flower, violet and soft earth give this wine an authentic sense of place. So do the elegant mineral notes. This is a special wine (that is priced very competitively).

Decanter (94)

San Giusto’s Riserva is a selection of grapes based on ripeness as well as bunch and berry dimensions. In 2017, the estate managed to hold off harvesting until after the desperately needed, refreshing early-September rains. This has a lot of everything: intense aromas, ripe flavours, a weighty mouthfeel, rich fruit, dense chalky tannins, heady alcohol, and even concentrated acidity. Somehow, these are all gracefully aligned but it makes for a powerful package. Open according to your preference - I would prefer to wait another year, giving time for all the elements to mellow and meld further.

Jancis Robinson (18+)

Gaiole in Chianti. 97% Sangiovese. 3% Canaiolo. Certified organic. Cask sample. Beautiful shiny ruby. A lifted cherry nose with a hint of pine and black tea leaves. Jewel-like sour-cherry fruit on the palate. Very pure and elegant, yet with lots of concentration and gorgeous tannic bite on the finish.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baròncole (a certified organic wine) shows bright fruit with summer cherry and redcurrant. It offers textural heft and weight. Its Riserva status (with extended aging) is well noted. With time in the glass, it unfolds to leather, potting soil and crushed stone. This vintage does however show a more accessible personality overall (and a powerful 15% alcohol content).

Wine Spectator (94)

'#1 in Wine Spectator Top 100 2022' - Packs in generous steeped plum, boysenberry and mulberry flavors backed by a broad swath of roasted alder and bittersweet cocoa. Brimming with dense fruit, and is squarely in the not-shy style. The long finish has a serious loamy tug, too. Best from 2023 through 2035. 10,000 cases made.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2015 Screaming Eagle is another monumental wine from this address, and it's one of those cases where if you afford it, you should buy it. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, this magical elixir boasts a deep purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blueberries, creme de cassis, violets, incense, and cedarwood. Reminding me of the 2015 Château Margaux with its off the charts class and purity, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly textured, and has a finish that just won't quit. This legendary wine is going to keep for 30-40 years.

Wine Advocate (97+)

Beautiful floral notes intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice and charcoal jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2002. Opulent, broad, full-bodied and more mature than I expected given how this wine showed in its youth, this deep, rich Cabernet Sauvignon is exceptional. However, in this vintage it has to take a back seat to a number of other cuvees. The final blend was 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

James Suckling (100)

The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now. Give it three or four years to come around, but this already sings.

Wine Advocate (100)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Screaming Eagle soars out of the glass with vibrant notions of ripe blackberries, black cherries and fresh red and black currants plus wafts of licorice, candied violets, cedar chest and clove oil with a beguiling touch of sea spray. Medium-bodied with jaw-dropping elegance, the palate is finely textured and yet built like a brick house with a super taut backbone and exquisitely knit acidity. The intense black and red fruit flavors are accented by layers of mineral and floral notions, finishing with incredible length and depth. Undeniably stunning. “I loved it!” winemaker Nick Gislason told me when I asked him for his thoughts on the 2018 vintage. “Everything is just really perfumey with a lot of verve and a lot of freshness. It’s a wholesome vintage, if that makes sense? The canopies were big and healthy; there was a lot of life in the vineyard. After 2017, it felt like the bloom that comes afterward.” He went on to say, "We made a little 2017 red. Only four barrels of the Cab! Ten barrels of The Flight. Only from grapes that came in before the fires—mainly Merlot and a couple of blocks of Cabernet." Whereas Screaming Eagle is mainly sourced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the western side of the estate, there is one plot of old Merlot (1980s plantings) on the eastern side of the vineyard that continually makes the backbone of this Second Flight/The Flight. This is planted on very gravelly, well-drained soils. Gislason explained, “The Cabernet Sauvignon for The Flight is always about being fresh, light and perfumey, without the firmer tannins that Cabernet can sometimes give. There is a ‘fresh’ end of the property that this tends to come from. There is some other Merlot on the other side of the property that doesn’t have the acidity, perfume or brightness we’re looking for. We don’t use this in The Flight.”

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, coming from a small section of estate vines closer to the Napa river. It is entirely fermented in French oak, but only about 5% is new. The grapes are pressed straight to barrels and kept on their gross lees. The wine is fermented using native yeasts. This vintage, the nose is not at all shy—it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of ripe peaches, passion fruit and musk perfume plus wafts of honeycomb, elderflower, ripe gooseberries and lemongrass with a waft of Bosc pears. The palate is super intense and yet ethereally weighted, light-bodied and oh-so-fine, elegant and refreshing, featuring a whole array of chalk and sea spray sparks, creating a shimmer to all the many citrus and stone fruit layers, finishing with great length and energy. There is a truly interesting phenolic texture to the palate that reminds me of some Chardonnays, particularly Burgundian examples. Winemaker Nick Gislason commented that the gross lees contain a lot of phenolic content, which is where the wine picks up that textural component. Love it!

Vinous (98)

The 2016 The Flight is gorgeous. Dark, brooding and closed in on itself, the 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best, but it is incredibly beguiling today. Plum, black cherry, lavender, blood orange menthol, and a host of more mineral-driven notes punctuate this super-expressive wine. This is a decidedly tannic and powerful edition of The Flight. I can't wait to see how it ages. Bottled just six weeks before this tasting, the 2016 appears to have a very bright future. Time in the glass brings out some of the softer edges that will almost surely emerge with cellaring. The Flight is built on a core of older Merlot vines from the southeast corner of the estate. It is an absolutely riveting wine from Screaming Eagle.

James Suckling (100)

This is an incredible wine with such depth and energy and ethereal, mind-blowing sensibility. It sent shivers down my spine tasting it. It just shines on the nose, like bright sunlight breaking through a dark sky. Aromas of raspberries, citrus, violets and dark earth. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go vertical and endless, from top to bottom. A monument for merlot-based wines. Drinkable now, but needs six to eight years to come around.

James Suckling (99)

Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.