Antonio Galloni, the founder of Vinous and a renowned critic of Italy’s best wines, calls Poggerino’s wines “some of the purest expressions of the Sangiovese grape in Italy.” Winemaker Piero Lanza is in his third decade at the helm, and his excellent wines continue to improve.
His Chianti Classico is among the most consistent and popular wines we import (don’t tell the French). For a number of years now, Piero has made a new cuvée raised in cement eggs – hence the wordplay in the name Nuovo. Cement eggs have the virtue of self-stirring, as ambient temperature changes affect the wine in the eggs at different rates, promoting a natural circulation without the need for physical stirring. With no oak flavor mixed in, this wine has particularly pure fruit, and as one might expect at Poggerino, it is beautiful.
Galloni awarded 93 points writing “this is such a distinct wine. The purity of the fruit is just striking.” The cement adds structure and depth, meaning this needs an extra few years to melt together – Lanza has just released the 2021, and it’s magnificent. The nose shows dark red fruit with a touch of mint, spice, and licorice. A gem of a cuvée, just entering a perfect drinking window that we expect to remain open for at least another five years.
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Poggerino Chianti Classico Nuovo 2021
bottle price: $42
