Bindi Sergardi Simbiosi Toscana 2019

Bindi Sergardi is paramount to royalty in Tuscany – building villages and governing the Republics of central Italy as far back as 1349! That they also make killer wines – including this 95-POINT Super-Tuscan stunner! We like this a whole lot – a new entry in the top-notch Super-Tuscan category – from one of Italy’s most historic estates!

Back in the mid-1300s, the Bindi Sergardi family led an army that defeated the Aretines and, as such, were installed as governors of the Republic. As they have for 600+ years, they continue to farm grapes, olives, and animals on their landholdings. Their Tenuta I Colli estate has been in the family for 23 generations – as it was the family that built the village surrounding the estate back in the 1400s. Situated on the border of three of Siena's most important denominations, this estate makes wines for Chianti, Chianti Colli Senesi, and here, with this 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot from the Monteriggioni area.

This modern expression of Siena is grown on hillside plots that rest a solid 350 meters above sea level. This high-elevation site, which nevertheless rests only about 20 miles from the sea, makes for a place of perfect extremes – warm days that warm the limestone soils in the vineyard, tempered by cool nights where the ocean breeze climbs the undulating slopes throughout the estate. The grapes are hand harvested and then sorted, with each variety fermented separately in temperature-controlled steel tanks. After three weeks, the wine is drained, the skins pressed and then barreled down into French oak (with 50% new barrels in the mix).

The finished wine is bold, impenetrable, and dark to behold, with a depth and spice profile to match. An explosive nose of cinnamon, toasted hazelnuts, creme de cassis, and nutmeg start things off, with an intense palate to follow. Blackberries, black plums, and black currants layer the flavor profile, with woodsy spice notes of truffles, cedar, and dusty clay. This has just started to reveal its full potential, and time and air in the glass allow the full profile to expand ever further. Decant young, but if you can suffer to hold a couple of these for a few years – you will be profoundly rewarded!

This is an exceptional wine – especially for the category and the price – that will stand up to other Super-Tuscans twice the price! Bindi Sergardi does it again, and we’re just happy to reap the benefits of their remarkable portfolio of wines!

PAIRING IDEAS: The spice profile of this wine has me craving some Middle Eastern flavors – and I settled on a doozy! Turkish Kofta Kebabs are gonna just kill it with this wine – a mix of beef and lamb, some sumac onions, beautifully layered spices, that unbeatable live-fire char...oh, baby!