“Total Knockout” Chianti Riserva, 95 points

The Fattoria Poggerino is the lone Italian source in our portfolio. Their careful organic viticulture and unusually pure wines have vaulted them to the top of most lists of winemakers in Chianti. Vinous writes of their Poggerino’s “remarkable purity and nuance,” and Rajat Parr calls their wines “excellent” and “some of the purest expressions of the grape in Italy.”

Polish & Poise: 7-Year-Old Chianti Classico. $25

Grape varietals sometimes take their names from the plant’s appearance. “Sauvignon blanc” has leaves that resemble those of wild (sauvage) grape vines. Pinot Gris refers to the blue-gray (gris) color of its grapes. But our favorite varietal (etymologically speaking) has to be Sangiovese — a wine so inky and black that it is named for the “blood of Jove.”