2021 Castello di Ama San Lorenzo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG

Top 100 Wines of 2024! This is really perfumed and gorgeous, with black cherries, blackcurrants and violets. Full-bodied with totally integrated tannins and a palate presence that is pretty spectacular. Wonderful finish. Give this three or four years. Try after 2027.

benchmark for Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, especially in what is being hailed as a truly magnificent, once-in-a-generation vintage. Antonio Galloni of Vinous called 2021 "the single greatest young vintage I have ever tasted in Chianti Classico," and JS rated this beauty with a stunning 99pts. Castello di Ama, a historic estate in the high hills of Gaiole, has long been a leader in Chianti, especially Gran Selezione and single variety bottling of Merlot. The "San Lorenzo" is their best bang for the bucks in the Gran Selezione line-up. This cuvée is made from the estate’s best Sangiovese grapes (with a touch of Merlot and Malvasia Nera) from their historic vineyards, including Bellavista and Casuccia. Forget everything you know about chianti. This is a masterpiece of wine, one of those that will make happy many cross categories drinkers that wants explore more outside of Napa, Bordeaux or Brunello. The 2021 vintage is packed with energy and depth. It is one of the best vintages in Tuscany of the last 20 years. It’s vintage with an immense level of energy. This is wine that will age gracefully but they are super expressive already. The palate is powerful yet elegant, with fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity that frames the concentrated fruit. It has a potent, backward structure; you can tell you can age this for years. It’s a bottle that every serious collector of wine needs to have in their cellar. At this price point beats many more expensive Brunello.