Supertuscans: Are they Or Aren't They?

Supertuscan is a journalistic term born in the 1970s, and this begs explanation: the 1970s were an extraordinarily difficult period for Tuscan winemaking, especially in the Chianti Classico region, to the point that in some ways it's a wonder that winemaking survived at all. Doesn't seem possible today, but then the area was reeling: in the late 50s and early 60s the tenant farmers who had worked the land for centuries abandoned it in favor of better paying manufacturing jobs in cities and towns (and new homes with amenities such as hot and cold running water, which had not yet reached the countryside). The landowners, who had until then lived in the cities and let someone else run things suddenly found themselves forced to make a go of farming, a task for which most were totally unprepared. So they continued to do what the farmers had done, emphasizing quantity over quality.

At the same time, Italy was adopting the Frech AOC system and establishing Denominazioni d'Oridine Controllate, or DOCs to govern the production of the wine. The people writing up the regulations were not winemakers, but rather bureaucrats, so rather than devise a strategy for the future they took a snapshot of the situation at the time, voted to high volume production, and damn near carved it in stone. In Central Tuscany -- Chianti Classico, and Chianti too -- this meant the adoption of the "traditional" red-and-white grape blend said to have been formulated by Baron Bettino Ricasoli, the developer of Chianti: 50 to 80% Sangiovese, 10 to 30% Canaiolo Nero, and 10 to 30% Malvasia and Trebbiano (white grapes), calculated as percentages of vines in the vineyards. The inexperienced landowners read the rules, and since Trebbiano vines (which Baron Ricasoli did not use) produce twice as much as most others, planted as much Trebbiano as they could, assuming that the more Chianti they made the more they would sell. Many were making what was nominally a red wine with 50% white grapes. The stuff didn't age well, didn't travel well, and wasn't well received. Prices plummeted and wineries went with them.

By the late 60s the more forward-looking producers realized they had to do something and began to experiment. San Felice introduced Vigorello, a wine made with just Sangiovese, while Antinori introduced Tignanello, a wine made with Sangiovese and Cabernet aged in barriques, the small oak barrels used by the French. Both wines caused tremendous stirs, and soon others were following their lead. Of course, since these wines weren't made according to the Disciplinare governing the Chianti Classico Appellation they couldn't be called Chianti (the tasting commissioners who did encounter them, when faced with unusual non-Italian varietal flavors and small oak, had fits), nor did they qualify as IGT, and therefore the winemakers called them Vini da Tavola, table wines -- the bottom rung of Italian wine production, which had until then been exclusively jug wine.

There's something seriously wrong in a system in which the winery's best, most innovative, most interesting (and most expensive) wines are classed along side what's sold by the jug, and since the bureaucrats in charge of the appellations were in no hurry to correct the situation (they didn't officially allow French varietals until 1984, but in doing so continued to require white grapes as well), an unknown -- at least to me -- journalist called the extremely good non-appellation wines he was tasting Supertuscans. And the name stuck.

So what, you ask, is a Supertuscan?

It's a wine that is not made following the rules of the appellations governing a given wine region. Or maybe it is; Since 1984 the Chianti Classico Disciplinare has been altered several more times, and now many of the wines that could only be called Supertuscan in 1970 would qualify as Chianti Classico. Including Tignanello, though not Vigorello, which is now a Cabernet-Merlot blend. So why haven't the winemakers whose wines now qualify for the appellation they are made in signed them up?

In some cases because they feel no need to -- Tignanello is quite well enough known as it is, and calling it Chianti Classico would likely have no positive impact on its sales.

In some cases because they don't want to have anything to do with the Appellation; the late Sergio Manetti of Montevertine withdrew from the Chianti Classico appellation because he didn't want to put white grapes into his red wine, and subsequently -- as the changes in the appellation proved him right -- found the quality controls wanting; his son Martino promised him he wouldn't return to the fold and hasn't.

Still others want to be free to do as they want: Giampolo Motta of the Fattoria La Massa started out making Chianti Classico, but felt stifled and left to do his own thing, eliminating Sangiovese from the blend of his top wine, while Tommaso Cavalli of the Tenuta Degli Dei never planted Sangiovese at all.

The bottom line is that a Supertuscan is what the winemaker wants it to be, and its quality is entirely dependent upon the winemaker. Piero Antinori, in presenting a vertical of his famed Solaia, perhaps defined it best: A Supertuscan is not a vaietal wine, because while there are some made from only one varietal, many are blends. It's not a reserve or a selection from an Appellation, because in many cases they don't follow the rules set forth for appellation wines. What it is, is a vineyard wine, one that is consistently excellent and stands the test of time. Anyone can call his wine a Supertuscan, but only a few meet the test of time and truly are Supertuscans.

And Here Are The Wines We Tasted, in a presentation organized by the Biennale Enogastronomica Fiorentina:

Castello di Bossi Corbaia 2004

70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is intense, and pleasant, with savory balsamic accents mingled with leaf tobacco and some dried flowers, and also some spice with underlying vegetal notes, moderate pepper and some greenish notes. Quite pleasant, and deft in a mature key. On the palate it's full, and rich, with powerful decidedly savory minerality with some sour berry fruit underlying it, though it's more about minerality and leather than fruit, and supported by savory notes as well that flow into a bitter finish, while the tannins have a marked burr, and are rather savory. Quite pleasant, and very much alive, though it's not a wine I would want to drink by the glass far from the table -- more of a wine for succulent red meats, and in terms of style it is influenced by the cabernet, which gives it a distinctly international feel, especially in the tannins, which are rather dusky.

90-91

Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza 2004

Primarily Merlot with a dash of Sangiovese.

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections; by comparison with the Bossi it looks younger because the ruby is deeper and less orange. The bouquet is fairly intense, with elegant spice mingled with slight iodine accents, green leather, and also black currant fruit Nice balance and considerable depth; it gives a rather lush impression of itself, in a mature key. On the palate it's ample and rich, with powerful cherry plum fruit supported by bright slightly mineral acidity that has some leathery accents -- I get an impression of a leather strop for some reason -- and is supported by very smooth tannins that flow into a clean fresh berry fruit finish -- plum, with some black currant fruit as well. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with succulent, not too fatty grilled meats or roasts.

2 stars

Tenuta Santedame - Ruffino Romitorio di Santedame 2005

60% Colorino and 40% Merlot

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is dusky, with fairly intense bitter greenish accents mingled with some cedar and savory notes, and also slight balsam, with some black currant fruit as well. It's pleasant, and though clearly not a hot weather wine -- it's more savory and mineral with brambly accents -- is pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's ample, with raich savory plum cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh berry fruit finish with underlying savory tannic notes and slight hints of balsam; it's quick to write, but quite harmonious, and pleasant to sniff and sip. A pleasant surprise, because the 2005 is rarely this nice.

90-92

Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei 2007

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Alicante

Lively black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, and quite rich, with elegant cherry plum fruit supported by pleasant spice and some leathery notes, and also slight underbrush. Quite young, and very elegant in a decidedly international key; it has a great deal to say and is impressive. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with rich powerful cherry plum fruit supported by moderately intense mineral acidity and by dusky tannins that are very smooth and gain definition from dusky pencil shaving bitterness, and flow into a clean fairly rich plum cherry finish with cedary underpinning. Very pleasant in a rich international key, and if you like the style you will enjoy it very much because it has a great many facets to plumb. Even if you're more towards the traditional end of the spectrum you will find things to appreciate and enjoy. It's also quite young, and will develop quite nicely over the next decade or more.

93-5

Cecchi Coevo 2007

50% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 % each Merlot & Petit Verdot

Deep black cherry ruby -- it's almost impenetrable -- with cherry rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up moderate spice and red berry fruit with some balsamic accents; as it opens some cherry plum accents also emerge, together with savory notes. Delicate, and developing. On the palate it's full, and rich, with fairly bright sour cherry fruit supported by brambly acidity and by tannins that have a warm savory burr and flow into a clean rather savory finish with tannic underpinning. It's the antithesis of Cavalli, a wine that revolves more around tannicity and brashness than smoothness, and is a wine that you will enjoy if you prefer more traditional, more aggressive wines, but will also find things to ponder and enjoy if you prefer the softer more international style.

2 stars

Fattoria La Massa Giorgio Primo 2007

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot

Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, with deft cherry and black currant fruit supported by some vegetal accents and hints of leather with a fair amount of spice as well; it's quite deft, and has a great deal to say in a fairly rich rather international key. On the palate it's full, and rich, with powerful cherry fruit supported by plum accents, and by tannins that are quite young, and though in part smooth, also have a youthful burr to them, and flow into a clean rather bitter berry fruit finish. It's quite pleasant, in a rather scrappy key, and this is its youth at work; it needs a few years for the tannins to smooth and fold in, though it will drink now with a porterhouse steak and be very nice. In other words, if you're impatient all is not lost But if you have patience, it will give a much better accounting of itself in 3-5 years, and continue to do so for many more years thereafter.

90-92

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte 2007

Sangiovese

Elegant ruby with black reflections and some orange in the rim; by comparison with Giorgio Primo it's considerably paler, and this is the difference between Sangiovese and some of the French varietals. The bouquet is elegant, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by some floral accents and deft sour cherry acidity. Quite graceful in a delicate, willowy key that does have considerable power behind it as well. It has a lot to say. On the palate it's full, with powerful cherry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity and by tannins that have a warm youthful burr and flow into a clean savory finish with some sour cherry underpinning. Again, it's very young, and will benefit from further bottle age though one could drink it now with a steak. It's a slightly more brambly expression of Pergole Torte than in some vintages, and this is the nature of the vintage. Quite nice, and if you prefer the traditional style you will enjoy it very much.

93-5

Tenute del Cabreo - Folonari Cabreo Il Borgo 2007

70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Impenetrable pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is quite fresh, with powerful black currant fruit supported by some floral accents and wet leather with underlying savory notes and some spice, and also some India ink bitterness. Quite pleasant, and has a lot to say in a very youthful, quite international key. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by moderately intense sour cherry acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that have a slight cedary burr that is youth, and flow into a clean cedar laced finish. It's quite pleasant in a decidedly Supertuscanish key -- it's almost an archetype of the style (as is Antinori's Solaia, or the Tignanello that follows here), and though I can hear the 1970s talking to me as I sip it, I like it.

90-91

Tenuta Tignanello - Antinori Tignanello 2007

80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc

Deep black almandine with black reflections and cherry rim with slight orange accents. The bouquet is muted at first swish, though more swishing brings up cherry plum fruit with some vegetal notes and hints of underbrush, and also clean spice and some savory notes. It's still developing, and needs time. On the palate it's ample, and smooth, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by dusky bitterness and bitter mineral acidity, and by tannins that have a cedar laced bitter burr and flow into a rather bitter finish with savory tannic underpinning. It's very young, and needs another couple of years to come together; as is the case with some of the other wines it has a 1970s feel to it, but is quite pleasant and will drink very well with succulent grilled meats or roasts, e.g. leg of lamb.

90-92

Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione 2008

Sangiovese

Impenetrable pyrope with black reflections; it's quite dark and this is in part youth. The bouquet is deft, and quite fresh, with violets and some spice mingled with cherry fruit and some ripe plum; there's something luscious about it, though it's clearly a work in progress and needs another couple of years to come together. On the palate it's quite elegant, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by deft sour cherry acidity, and smooth tannins that have slight brambly sour notes to them, and flow into a clean sour cherry finish with savory tannic underpinning. Beautiful depth and great finesse; it has been a number of years since I last tasted Carbonaione, and it is just as exciting to me now as it was the last time. If you like the style, which makes no nods to polished smoothness, but rather captures Sangiovese's rather aggressive nature, you will like it very much, and even if you prefer smoother softer wines you will find things to think about here.

93-5

So, do these qualify as Supertuscans?

I would say they do -- they are as a group distinctive, albeit in very different ways, good, and have certainly stood the test of time.

A more important question is, is there still a place for these wines in Tuscany, especially given the swing of the pendulum towards Sangiovese and other autochthonous varietals? Giampaolo Motta said, rather angrily, that he gets frowns and minimization when he tells people that there isn't any Sangiovese in his Giorgio Primo, and I know that some wine journals have downplayed Supertuscans of late.

My reaction to the frowns and the downplaying is that the people doing this are missing the boat. Some of these wines do have a slightly 1970s feel, but that's because they were introduced then, and at the time the use of Cabernet and small oak barrels was so revolutionary that it burned itself into our collective conscience; we continue to associate the flavors and aromas with the first time we met them, and that the wines are still being made now as they were then means they are a success, because the winemakers would not still be making their Supertuscans that way if they didn't sell. Others feel quite different -- Cavalli is riper and softer, with more fruit and less wood, more modern if you will (it is a more recent wine) and Giorgio Primo has tremendous depth, while Pergole Torte simply is.

They can't really be bundled together, except to say that they stand out, both for their quality, and their character.

They are what the winemaker wants to do, and as Vittorio Fiore notes, are also a reaction to the strictures of the Italian Appellations. At the end of the tasting he said, "In Bordeaux the rules take up a single page -- the first lists the varietals that can be used -- 17 or so. Then there's something about yields, and a few more points, but it's all in a page. Here the regulations say how often we should blow our noses in the vineyards. When it comes to agronomy, they say the vineyards should be planted "in the traditional manner," which means that if we plant to high densities, which aren't traditional, a judge could declare us all out of bounds. It's ridiculous."

As is, he added, keeping a winemaker from using the grapes he thinks will give him the best expression of his land. And at this point Giampaolo Motta grinned and applauded.

Badia a Coltibuono: A vertical, or rather a selection of older vintages of Chianti Classico, and also a vertical of Sangioveto

From the latest issue of Cosa Bolle in Pentola:

Badia A Coltibuono is one of the older estates in Chianti Classico, and was one of the first to bottle wines -- they still have a very few bottles from the 40s (the occupying Germans drank everything pre-1945), and also bottles from the 50s and 60s. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to a tasting at the Badia that began with the 1946 vintage, so when Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti told me she'd be pouring a number of older vintages this year at Vinitaly, I made plans to attend.

This time she was pouring the 1965, 1970, 1979 and 1995 Chianti Classico Riservas, and before we get to them some background is in order. Like most Tuscan estates, until well after WWII Badia a Coltibuono was farmed through mezzadria, a share cropping system in which the land of the estate was divided into farms, or poderi, each consisting of farm houses and the necessary other buildings (haybarns, stables and such), fields, and vineyards. The poderi were worked by one or more families, and were pretty much self sufficient, producing everything the residents needed to live. But not money, and therefore the mezzadri paid Emanuela's family in kind, with a share of the crops.

This share included wine: The residents of each podere harvested the vineyards they tended, and made the wine in the podere's cellar, under the supervision of someone from the Badia. With the fermentation complete, the Stucchi Prinetti family's share was transferred to the cellars of the Badia, where it went into huge, ancient (centuries old) chestnut casks. And there it stayed: though the family did bottle some Chianti Classico Riserva each year (they didn't begin to bottle Chianti D'Annata until the 1970s), when Maurizio Castelli joined the staff as Badia a Coltibuono's enologist in 1980, he found cask after chestnut cask full of old wine. Good old wine, because the cool dampness of the cellar was such that the wood was in perfect condition, but he had been hired to help modernize the Badia's winemaking, and one of the first orders of business was to replace the old chestnut barrels with oak, which yields wines that are much more approachable. So all of the old vintages were bottled in 1981, and a significant percentage of the bottles went into Badia a Coltibuono's vintage archive.

And now they offer a fascinating look into the past. Everything was different then. Though Sangiovese was the primary varietal, the old wines also contain the white grapes that no longer go into Chianti. Rather than await polyphenolic ripeness (which helps insure concentration), people harvested when sugar concentrations reached a certain level, or -- if they didn't have the tool for measuring grape sweetness -- when the grapes seemed sweet enough to yield about 12% alcohol. There was no destemming and therefore everything went into the fermentation tanks -- seeds, skins, stems (with their vibrantly green tannins) and all. There was no temperature control, and fermentation was empiric. And finally, the wine, which was quite acidic by modern standards, went into chestnut, which -- though the wood was old and therefore didn't contribute much -- yields tannins that have a different, more vegetal feel to them than do the sweet tannins released by oak.

In short, trying to compare the wines made then with those made more recently is rather like trying to compare a one of those beautiful single-cylinder tractors from the 1930s with a modern high-tech tractor with air conditioned cab and living room-worthy stereo system. Yes, they both have four wheels, but... Looking at them for what they are is instead fascinating.

As I said, you will find the latest vertical on Cosa Bolle in Pentola. Here, reprinted, is the last Badia a Coltibuono vertical I was fortunate enough to attend in 2002:

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 1946
This was bottled immediately because the Germans had drunk up everything when they occupied the Badia during the War. It's pale garnet with almandine brick overtones. The bouquet is still very much alive, with an initial rush of leathery balsam that brings an old leather book binding to mind mingled with sea salt and some iodine; swishing brings up dusky cherry fruit and more balsam, while the leather smoothes some, and with time the balsam gains in intensity and hints of spicy tobacco emerge, going hand in had with the balsam. Beautiful, in an elderly key that brings to mind faded lace. On the palate it shoes its age to a greater degree, with rather tart leafy overtones that mingle with sea salt and dust, with considerable very sour cherry tartness that resolves into warm hot steel and saddle leather with tobacco overtones. Interesting; it's not a wine to sip far from the table, and is clearly long on years, but still has a story to tell and will drink well with hearty flavorful stews, for example venison or wild boar. It has held better than many humans of like age. Lots of tannins, in part from the stems -- the fermentation was in the individual homesteads, in upright wooden tanks, with the stems.
2 stars

Note: The 46 was entirely from coltura promiscua (the traditional mixed farming system, with rows of grape vines mixed with other crops), because they were planning to plant vineyards but hadn't yet. The subsequent wines were from specialized vineyards, in other words vineyards planted entirely to vine, without other crops between the rows:

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1959
Deep almandine ruby with Moroccan leather and almandine overtones. The bouquet is rather pungent, with spicy saddle leather that mingles with some iodine and sea salt, and underlying wet leaves; a swish brings up a certain amount of acidity and pleasant minty overtones, while leaf tobacco also emerges. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's surprisingly graceful, with fairly tart cherry fruit supported by lemony acidity and warm smooth tannic overtones that are rather dusty and lead into a clean dusty tannic finish with bitter brambly graphite overtones. One can taste the tannins from the stems, which provide the bitterness, but the overall effect is graceful and there's still quite a bit of life to it. As with the 46 it's a wine that will drink better with foods than on its own, and indeed will be a nice counterpoint to a flavorful stew. In short, if you find a bottle that has been well kept, enjoy it.
2 stars

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1962
Almandine ruby with black highlights and almandine rim. The bouquet is rather musty, with wet leaves and well soaked leather at first sniff, and also some balsam. Swishing brings up more of the same, with the leather increasing and taking on penetrating smoky spicy overtones, and also some leaf tobacco that gains support from some acidity. On the palate it is faded, with some sour notes but not much fruit, supported by some tannins that have a dusty feel to them and lead into a bitter finish with iodine overtones. Geriatric, but then again it 41 years old.

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1966
Almandine with black highlights and almandine leather in the rim. The bouquet is clearly elderly, with pungent smoky spice that mingles with leaf tobacco and some acidity that rises up to tickle the nose. On the palate it's livelier than one might have expected from the nose, with some tart cherry fruit that gives way to balsam and sea salt wit underlying tobacco leaf bitterness, and it all flows into a clean tannic finish with strong bitter India ink overtones -- the stems of the grapes providing their contribution. It's interesting, and though it's not a wine for a casual wine drinker, it does have something to say and will drink well with a hearty stew.
1 star

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1968
Deep orange almandine with black reflections and Moroccan leather rim. The bouquet is clearly well along in years, with spice and leaf tobacco that mingle some slightly greenish overtones. On the palate it's lighter than some of the others, with sea salt and balsam supported by tobaccoey tannins that lead into a clean bitter finish. Though there isn't as much fruit, it has a certain grace, and also a degree of charm; because it is lighter it will work well with grilled meats.
2 stars

An Observation: The wines of the late 50s through 60s wines are cut from the same cloth. The 46 is distinct; because of its longer bottle age and its having been produced through coltura promiscua.


Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1971
A historic vintage. Deep black almandine with black highlights and almandine rim; by comparison with the older wines it's livelier. The bouquet is clean, and delicate, with some lacy berry fruit that mingles with slight balsam and hints of spice and salty leaf tobacco that become stronger with more swishing. Deft, and a fair amount going on; it gives an impression of distance. On the palate it's full and quite rich, surprisingly so considering its age, with delicate slightly sour cherry fruit supported by clean dusty tannins that have warm bitter overtones and lead into a warm clean finish. Elegant, and though it's obviously not a young wine it still has quite a bit to say, and will work well with a steak or light stew. If you find a bottle, do enjoy it.
88

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1976
A dreadful vintage, and since Ingegner Stucchi had the best cask set aside every year to bottle as riserva, theirs was the only Riserva made in all of Chianti Classico. The Consorzio had to special order the Galli for them. The wine is almandine with pale black highlights and Moroccan leather rim paling to white. The bouquet is tired, and this cones as no surprise considering the vintage, with musty slightly smoky penetrating leaf tobacco mingled with damp underbrush and underlying saltiness. On the palate it's thin, with hints of cherry fruit supported by bitter rather evanescent tannins that flow into a clean bitter finish with slight sour cherry fruit overtones and alcoholic notes that rise up into the back of the throat. It has, to put it simply, faded, though the way it has faded shows that there was something there to begin with.


Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1977
Almandine with pale ruby notes and black highlights, Moroccan leather rim. The bouquet is unusual, with a rush of menthol at first sniff that brings Vicks Vaporub to mind underlain by balsam and sea salt; swishing brings forth more mint and some leaf tobacco, but the mint remains paramount. On the palate it's full, and surprisingly smooth, with delicate cherry fruit that has slight tart raspberry overtones and is supported by smooth sweet tannins that have slight minty overtones and lead into a clean warm cherry laced finish with (again) balsam and mint. All this talk of mint may seem off-putting, but the wine manages considerable grace, albeit in an elderly, lacy key, and will drink nicely with succulent white meats.
2 stars

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1980
Deep black almandine ruby with black highlights and Moroccan leather rim. The bouquet is a bit off, with old wet leather that has been soaking for a long time mingled with sea salt and some cedar, hints of acidity, and slightly sour leaf tobacco. No fruit to speak of, and not much depth. On the palate it's mouthfilling, though oddly flat; there's a presence that expands off the tongue to press against the cheeks, but there isn't much in the way of fruit to it, and it's all supported by clean balsam laced bitter tannins that lead into a warm, balsamic finish. It feels like the soul is missing, in a way. Maurizio says the grapes didn't ripen.
1 star

Note: From here on, the wines are Sangiovese in purezza

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1982
Deep black almandine ruby with black highlights, some ruby highlights, and almandine rim with Moroccan leather overtones. The bouquet is unexpected, with hot steel and hints of balsam that mingle with wood smoke; with time some cherry fruit emerges too. On the palate it feels stripped bare, much like the 1980, though in this case there's a little more cherry fruit, supported by tannins that have faded into thinness, though they feel as if they once had a burr, and flow into a balsamic finish with cherry overtones. It's gives an impression of thinness, though this is an effect of age -- it obviously had considerable grace to start out with, and has evolved into laciness with time. Graceful, but requires thought.
2 stars

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1985
Deep black almandine ruby with almandine ruby that has some orange overtones in the rim. The bouquet is clean, with cut leaf tobacco and bitter underbrush; not much fruit on the nose, though there is some underlying cherry that provides depth and direction. Also considerable graphite shavings. With time the fruit opens and becomes stronger. On the palate it's full and quite smooth, with powerful dusty cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean sweet cherry laced finish with lots of dust and some bitter cedary notes. Pleasing, and fully mature; because of the bitter dustiness it won't do well as a sipping wine, but it will instead work quite well with hearty stews or succulent grilled meats, especially steaks. Quite nice and worth seeking out.
88-90

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1986
1985 and 1988 were both great vintages, and the 86, which is sandwiched between them, has always gotten short shrift that is perhaps undeserved. Black almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is delicate, with leaf tobacco and balsamic notes supported by underlying bitterness and sea salt, with hints of sour cherry fruit that provide direction. Also peppery spice, slight mint and pencil shavings. On the palate it's full, and quite smooth, with delicate slightly tart cherry and forest berry fruit supported by velvety tannins that still display a slight burr, and flow into a clean cherry laced dusty finish. It is better that its reputation, though it doesn't have the power of the 85-88 set, and will work nicely with red meats or stews. Has lived its life and is coming down.
2 stars

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1988
Deep black almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim; gives an impression of vibrancy. The bouquet at first sniff is more delicate than one might have expected, with slightly sour cherry fruit supported by balsam and hints of bitter sea salt with underlying leaf tobacco; more swishing brings forth stronger tobaccoey spice that takes on a reddish cast from the underlying berry fruit, and gains life from some acidity. On the palate it's full and warm, with pleasing sour cherry fruit supported by smooth warm tannins that lead into a warm clean tannic finish with sour cherry overtones; though it doesn't flow over the tongue exuberantly, and indeed shows a degree of restraint, it is graceful, and will work quite nicely with foods, for example a platter of mixed grilled meats. You may wish you had a second bottle.
88

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1990
Deep black almandine ruby with hints of Moroccan leather in the rim. By comparison with the 88 it's slightly more shifted towards brick. The bouquet is clean, with delicate spice and sour cherry that mingle with some mint, warmth, and slight brandied cherries; it's quite nice and there's a lot to plumb. On the palate it's full, though not huge, and to be frank is more about finesse than opulence, with delicate balsam-laced slightly bitter cherry fruit that has leaf tobacco overtones and is supported by clean dusty tannins that lead into a long warm balsamic finish with considerable warmth and some fruit that gain definition from bitter pencil shavings. By comparison with the 88 it displays more finesse, though a little less power.
91

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 1993
Deep cherry ruby with almandine in the rim. The bouquet is unusual, with peat smoke and cherry fruit that mingle with peppery spice; with more swishing the fruit comes to the fore. On the palate it's medium bodied, with a thin feeling to it that is the vintage at work, and pleasing cherry fruit that is supported by smooth sweet tannins. To be frank it's not a great wine -- a month of rains beginning just before the harvest preclude greatness -- but it does display considerable grace and will drink quite well with succulent red meats. In short, how to draw a success from an adverse situation.
2 stars

This takes care of Chianti Classico. This year at Vintialy Emanuela had another vertical as well, of Sangioveto, a barrique aged 100% Sangiovese they introduced in 1980, calling it Sangioveto to increase worldwide awareness of the Sangiovese grape, which was then relatively unknown.

At the time Chianti Classico required the addition of white grapes, so they labeled it as a Vino da Tavola, or table wine (where it joined the ranks of other now classic Tuscan wines including Tignanello and Le Pergole Torte).

With the changes that have taken place in the regulations governing Chianti production, Sangioveto could now qualify as Chianti Classico, if it weren't for the name -- the regulations prohibit the use of grape names. So Sangioveto has gone from being a Vino Da Tavola to being an IGT Toscana.

The wines:

Badia A Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana VDT 1994
Deep black almandine with almandine rim. Deft bouquet, with warmth, some tart leather, acidity, and hints of woodsmoke mingled with savory accents, and, as it opens, sour berry fruit and some dried flowers. Nice depth. On the palate it's full and rich, with clean berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and a fair amount of warmth that flow into a clean fresh berry fruit finish. Pleasant, rich, and rather seductive; by comparison with the Chianti Classico it's curvier -- a more international style -- and in this context is a fine interpretation of Sangiovese, with much to say to those who will listen.
88-90

Badia A Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana IGT 1995
Deep brick ruby with brownish reflections and almandine rim. Looks older than the 94. The bouquet is fairly rich, with warm spice and some green leather , underbrush, savory accents, and some dried flowers, with underlying sea salt and smoke. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins and warmth that flow into a clean fairly tart berry fruit finish. Deft and much alive; by comparison with the 95 Riserva it's rounder and smoother, with less acidity and not as bright on the finish. Pleasant, but I found myself preferring the Riserva -- a question of personal taste.
2 stars

Badia A Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana IGT 1997
Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, with berry fruit and spice mingled with green leather, alcohol, tar, and warmth; there's a vibrancy to it, and it has quite a bit to say. On the palate it's full, with powerful berry fruit supported by smooth rich sweet tannins and moderate acidity that is sufficient to provide direction and depth, though it's not as bright as what one finds in the Riserva; it's also elegant in a rounder key, though not as tight as the wines that are aged in larger wood. It has in any case aged beautifully, and displaying great depth. From my personal standpoint it's not as light on its toes as a traditional wine aged in large as opposed to small wood would be, and this has more to do with the style of the wine than its quality, which is impressive.
90-91

Badia A Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana IGT 1999
Deep almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is bright, with berry fruit supported by some cedar and tart underlying acidity; it's more graceful and less charged than the 97. On the palate it's full, with bright berry fruit supported by fairly rich raspberry acidity and by cedar-laced tannins that flow into a clean tart fairly dry cedar finish. It seems to represent a change of pace with respect to the older wines; it's brasher and a bit simpler.
2 stars

Note: Maurizio Castelli has returned as enologist for this one:

Badia A Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana IGT 2004
Almandine with black reflections; Maurizio has begun to experiment with long maceration times. The bouquet is fairly rich, with red berry fruit supported by spice and warmth, and by a fair amount of alcohol as well. On the palate it's full and rich, with deft cherry fruit supported by moderate acidity and by smooth sweet vanilla laced tannins that flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish with lasting warmth. Pleasant, and will drink well with rich meats; it displays considerable depth but is clearly still climbing.
88-90

With respect to the Chianti Classico Riserva, the Sangioveto is smoother, softer, and a bit more seductive, and this is an effect of its being aged in barriques as opposed to large oak casks. If you are more traditionally minded you will find the Chianti Classico Riserva more to your tastes, whereas if you are more modern, you will likely prefer the Sangioveto.