Browse using the new Vinous website now. Launch →
Carmignano, Montecucco and Tuscany’s Unrivaled Diversity
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Mar 2024
It pays to explore beyond Chianti Classico, Montalcino and Montepulciano when looking for a diverse range of high-quality Sangioveses and blends across Tuscany. The wines of Carmignano and Montecucco are some of the region's best, often at prices that won’t break the bank.
2024 Tuscany Preview
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Feb 2024
Readers will want to pay special attention to new releases from Tuscany’s 2021 vintage. Favorable growing conditions throughout the year and the gentler winemaking that is increasingly the norm yielded wines that impress with stunning beauty, finesse and exceptional balance. I started tasting the 2021s from barrel in the summer of 2022. Even then, the potential of the vintage was evident. The bottled wines confirm my early impressions. Many estates produced some of their best wines ever. Our Tuscany Preview report covers a handful of new releases ahead of my larger articles coming later in 2024. Watch this space for more.
2013 Brunello di Montalcino: The Throwback Vintage
Italy: Tuscany, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Feb 2024
The 2013 Brunellos were often misunderstood on release. The cool, extended growing season yielded aromatic, high-toned wines sparked with elevated acidity, making them immediately appealing. Could they possibly be classic? Now, ten years later, the proof is in the bottle, and 2013 has shown itself to be worthy of attention.
Buckle Your Seatbelts: 2019 Brunello and 2021 Rosso di Montalcino
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Dec 2023
We’ve been waiting two years for the next big vintage from Montalcino. I’m happy to say that 2019 delivers the goods. Moreover, the 2021 Rossos show that producers continue to hone their skills in warm and dry years.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Making Wine in The New Normal
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Oct 2023
Being a producer in Montepulciano is never dull. The last four vintages have ranged from classic to sun-drenched to waterlogged. However, the region continues to take each hurdle in stride and turn out wines that impress today but will also pay dividends in the cellar.
Chianti Classico: The Brilliant 2021s & Variable 2020s
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Aug 2023
It’s a fabulous time for readers who love Chianti Classico. The wines have never been better, as evidenced by both the growing number of estates making gorgeous Chianti Classicos and the stylistic breadth those wines encompass. The 2021s in particular are some of the most exciting young wines I have tasted in more than 25 years of visiting the region.
Cellar Favorite: San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico: 2001-1990
Italy: Tuscany, Cellar Favorites, cellar favorite, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2023
When was the last time a grower presented a vertical of their entry-level wine where the youngest vintage was more than twenty years old? Never, in my experience. That’s exactly what Luca Martini di Cigala did during my most recent visit to San Giusto a Rentennano. It was a remarkable tasting and a fitting continuation of themes I explored last year in my report on vintages 2002 through 2010.
Exploring New Releases from Coastal Tuscany
Italy: Tuscany, featured
, Aug 2023
Readers will find much to admire in new releases from the Tuscan Coast. Vintage 2020 is a bit uneven, but the best wines offer notable freshness and aromatic intensity, with less heft than is typical, not a bad thing for a region where wines can be a bit heavy. Based on what I have tasted so far, 2021 appears to be a much more even vintage endowed with all the classic signatures of textural richness that make the wines of Coastal Tuscany so distinctive. Although this report focuses on the coast, I include notes on a handful of other wines from other inland appellations that are too small to be covered on their own.
Vinous Table: Osteria Le Logge, Siena, Italy
Italy: Tuscany, Vinous Table
, Jun 2023
Tuscany can be challenging for dining because so many places cater to the tourist crowd, and few establishments take proper care of their wines. Readers visiting this corner of Tuscany absolutely owe themselves a visit to Osteria Le Logge. It’s the real deal.
Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio 1962-2017
Italy: Tuscany, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured
, Apr 2023
Castello di Monsanto’s Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio forever changed the history of Chianti Classico as a region and wine. Consistency, a fervent belief in Sangiovese blended with a touch of indigenous red varieties, and a remarkable track record going back several decades have elevated Il Poggio to what is today – one of Italy’s most iconic wines. This unforgettable vertical back to the inaugural 1962 vintage provided myriad insights into the history of the estate and the evolution of the wine over the last five decades.