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Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Vigneto San Marcellino Gran Selzione 2019  - First Bottle

Reviews

97 Wine Spectator -
*Collectible* Violet, black currant and black cherry aromas and flavors are at the heart of this supple and energetic yet elegant red. Vibrant and linear, with a firm line of tannins and terrific length on the iron-tinged finish. Ends with fruit, mineral and spice notes, showing solid grip. Sangiovese and Pugnitello.

Technical Details

  • Blend87% Sangiovese and 13% Pugnitello
  • CountryItaly
  • RegionTuscany
  • Sub-RegionChianti
  • AppellationChianti Classico Gran Selezione
  • VineyardEstate Vineyards
  • OakAged for 29 months; six months in 56HL oak tini (open-top wooden casks), then 19 months in barrique (78%) and tonneaux (22%), 27% of which was new oak, the rest 3-4 years old; then four months in cement tank. Aged in bottle for a minimum of 24 months
  • Aging/Cooperage43 Months total
  • StainlessHand-harvested. Sangiovese and Pugnitello fermented separately on indigenous yeasts in upright wooden fermentation tanks
  • Alcohol14.5%

Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Vigneto San Marcellino Gran Selzione 2019

Sangiovese  |  Italy
WS97, VN94

14% off retail!

Rocca di Montegrossi is one of the fastest-rising stars in all of Tuscany – and this 97 point Gran Selezione from the heralded 2019 vintage is just another gleaming feather in their already crowded cap!

Rocca di Montegrossi is a Chianti Classico-based stalwart, and vintner Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is the latest in a long line of familial luminaries that are securing the future of Chianti Classico. His ancestor, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, is credited with creating the “original formula” for Chianti Classico wines all the way back in 1872 – securing the family’s reputation for all time. Marco is making his own mark on the region, and this single plot Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is just his latest statement to command global attention.

Set in the Gaiole commune of Siena, Monti di Chianti is a mountainous area revered for producing some of the most intensely structured and powerful Chianti wines in the region. The Ricasoli-Firidolfi estate covers some 100 hectares, of which only 40 are planted – evenly split between grapes and olive groves. The soils for the particular plot is an ideal mix of alberese (limestone) and galestro (schist) with clay – the signature soil blend of the very best Chianti Classico wines. For this wine, Marco harvests a selection of older vines from a 17-acre section standing across from the Pieve di San Marcellino, an eleventh-century Romanesque church. These vines, up to 50 years old, are thriving at this high-elevation plot that extends to some 1,500 feet above sea level. This 2019 is the current release – a long-aged prospect even by the new Gran Selezione regulations. And this isn’t a sort of “set it and forget it” type of aging, either – with every stage, and each vessel, carefully selected to extract the complementary characters assembled in the layered and complex Chianti. Initially aging for six months in open-top, 56-hectoliter oak casks, followed by 19 months in a mixture of barrique and tonneaux barrels (of which 27% are new oak) followed by 4 months in cement tanks. Finally, the wine is assembled and bottled, where it rests for a minimum of 24 additional months prior to release.

The special care exhibited is clearly discovered, and the pedigree and openness of the 2019 vintage make for an immediately stunning experience. Dark, richly spiced, and fuller than your average Chianti – this is overflowing with black plum and black cherry character, only to be uplifted with aromatic delicacies of violets and hibiscus, with sensations of red currants and multi-faceted minerality. Iron ore, graphite, and wild herbs abound, with smoky sandalwood notes that linger impressively. The blend is mostly sangiovese, of course, but the 13% addition of the rarely seen pugnitello grape gives this a uniqueness that is not easily quantified. It is undoubtedly an exceptional, and age-worthy, effort and you simply cannot beat the price! We scored just over 10 cases – and 97 point Chianti Classicos don’t come around every day...so do what you must to make a couple of these yours today!

PAIRING IDEAS: I cannot lie...Ossobuco alla Milanese is one of my favorite all-time winter classics. The creamy and richly spiced note of the saffron risotto, with the savory and beefy element of the braised beef and bone marrow, all with the bright herb crunch of gremolata over all...simply perfection.

About the Producer

Rocca di Montegrossi is located near Monti in Chianti, one of the finest sections of Chianti Classico, about 7 km south of Gaiole. Rocca di Montegrossi's owner, Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi, is descended from a family that played a central role in the history of the Chianti Classico region and laid the foundations for Chianti Classico wine. The estate extends over an area of 100 hectares; 20 are planted to vine, another 20 are olive groves. The vineyards, on gentle south and southeast-facing hillsides with calcareous loamy soils, are at elevations between 340 and 510 meters above sea level. Simply put, this is one of the finest producers in all of Chianti with wines that offer tremendous quality to price ratio.