Like every year Steven Spurrier, the famous British Wine journalist, visited us for the annual tasting of the new wines, and these are the comments:
Wines from Barrels
2018s.
Chianti Classico from Peter’s foudre. [A 3500 liter Garbelotto Barrel made with French oak]
Superb colour, good depth of rich fruit, still a bit raw.
Chianti Classico from new foudre [3500 liter from Rousseau in Burgundy]
Superb colour, rich and smooth, more polished, oak less aggressive.
Sangiovese (from Pyramid, Vigna Doghessa).
Really good expression and lots of depth.
Sangiovese from Maremma.
Full colour and richer in style, very good Maremma expression.
Cabernet Sauvignon from Maremma
Superb colour, good firm and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon but quite tough, needs to be softened by blending.
Syrah.
Very good colour, spice and depth, wine that could be on its own but excellent in a blend.
Petit Verdot.
Huge colour, great spice and superb fruit expression, not tough lime the Bordeaux Petit Verdot.
Chianti Classico Riserva 2017 (for bottling February 2020).
Very good colour, both powerful and elegant, top class fruit from a small year.
WINES IN BOTTLE.
BEN 2018.
Pale/mid yellow, both floral and fruity with good weight and balance, more serious than in the past and good with food. 17/90.
Belcanto 2016.
Good fresh violet red, really lovely black fruits nose, the Canaiolo and Malvasia adding freshness and richness, very good. 17+/90+
Belcanto 2017.
Deep rich red, ripe red/black fruits on the nose, quite rich but also a bit briar from tannins, more concentrated and plummier than the 2016, less lifted and needs to settle down and lose some of its exuberance to gain a little finesse. 17.
Casanuova 2017.
Superb vibrant red, really good vineyard expression of Sangiovese, total depth and total ripeness, very fine quality of fruit and the balance is such that it will open up from Easter 2020 and develop well during the decade. 17.5/92.
Casanuova 2016.
Fine deep colour, richer and more elegant than Belcanto, deep and spicy and still a bit tannic from both oak and natural tannins, just opening up, very good through to 2026. 17.75/93.
Riserva 2015.
Deep red with violet rim, superb florality and fruit on the nose and vineyard complexity on the palate, all black fruits, quite autumnal with controlled power, and excellent wine through to 2030. 18.5/95.
Ad Astra 2016.
Good solid red and good solid fruit on nose and palate, shows the warmth and spice of Maremma with good natural acidity. 17.25/91.
Nectar Dei 2014.
Deep youthful colour, red more than black fruits on the nose, already complex and shows the Petit Verdot fruit, quite tight on the palate for Maremma, yet very good length, quite an intellectual wine, good through 2026. 18/94.
