2020 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione [WS95][WA94][JS93][W&S93]

Producer: Antinori  
Region: Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy 
Varietal: Sangiovese 
Year: 2020 

Wine Spectator, 95 Points 

"A dense, rich red highlighted by black cherry, blackberry and blueberry flavors, with flashes of vanilla and toasty oak underscored by mineral and wild herbs. Features fine balance and texture. A tannic structure emerges on the earth-tinged finish, suggesting this will need another 2-3 years before it hits its stride. One for the cellar." 

Wine Advocate, 94 Points 

"Marchesi Antinori's 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano embraces a ripe fruit profile with sweet cherry and baked plum. Fruit at the Badia a Passignano estate matures very nicely, Marchesi Antinori General Manager Renzo Cotarella tells me. He describes the 2019 season as having abundant rain in the spring and then showing heat that lasted for a good part of the summer. This estate has a total of 56 hectares of vines, but this bottle is born from a selection from 20 hectares. The resulting annual production is 100,000 bottles. The wine offers sweet tannins, lots of dark cherry, spicy sensations, rich fruit weight and hints of salinity on the close. Best After 2022." 

James Suckling, 93 Points  

"Lots of violets and blue fruit, as well as black cherries on the nose. Full-bodied with slightly chewy tannins. Rich and layered. Yet, the tannins are long and intense." 

Wine & Spirits, 93 Points 

"Accents of menthol and licorice give a cool herbal edge to this wine’s vibrant raspberry and blackberry flavors. Bold and rich in style, the wine is layered with hints of warm spice and creamy milk chocolate that evolve into baked clay and leather tones. Those flavors should knit together even more gracefully in a few years." 

Winemaker Notes: 

"Badia a Passignano 2019 is ruby red in color. Intense on the nose with notes of ripe red fruit, liqueur cherries, and sour cherries together with citrusy hints of red oranges and delicate floral sensations of lavender. Its complex bouquet is completed by sweet notes of vanilla and pleasant spicy aromas of cloves and leather. On the palate the mouth filling entry is sustained by silky, vibrant tannins than accompany a lengthy finish, persistent and sapid, with a pleasant aftertaste of bitter cocoa and citrus." 

Alcohol: 14% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.