2020 Val delle Corti Chianti Classico

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 90.8 points

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  2/21/2024 - Joshvoulters Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Quite a lot of Chianti (Must & Lees, Warren Street): Strawberry, ripe tomato, iron, some oak perfume. Confident on the nose with sweet red fruit on the palate, good structure and a savoury finish. Everything's in the right place although it didn't thrill me.

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  11/15/2023 - Rixley wrote: 92 Points

  Really enjoyed at a private dinner put on by the Michelin-starred chef of Ristorante Giglio in Lucca Italy. Was prepared for a young tough Chianti, but was totally surprised by the fresh elegant smooth as silk Chianti . The chef said it was such due to the high altitude of this vineyard. A definite to look out for in the US. Light, elegant cherry, a little leather non-existent fan in pleasure.

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  9/22/2023 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  A blend of Sangiovese (95%) and Canaiolo (5%) from the organically farmed 7-30 yo vineyards on an east-facing slope in Radda in Chianti. The 2020 vintage was very hot with very little rain - until close to the harvest, when heavy rains caused some concern regarding the quality. However, with good selection the winery was left with ripe, thick-skinned grapes with relatively little of high-quality juice. 70% of the fruit is destemmed. The wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for three weeks in stainless steel tanks and open-top vats, whereas the 30% of the whole-bunch fruit undergoes carbonic maceration and is kept in contact with the wine for a remarkable four months. Aged for 24 months in old, neutral Slavonian oak botti casks ranging from 2000 to 3000 liters. Bottled in February 2023. 13,5% alcohol.
  
  Pale, vibrant and translucent garnet color - slightly lighter than one might expect from a Chianti Classico. The nose feels wonderfully fragrant and perfumed with expressive aromas of cherries and strawberries, some floral notes of violets and orange blossom, light sweet nuances of raspberry marmalade, a little bit of tobacco and a hint of blood orange. The wine feels wonderfully clean, juicy and precise on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of sour cherries and tart lingonberries, some crunchy notes of cranberries, a little bit of ferrous blood, light sweeter nuances of ripe raspberries and wild strawberries, a perfumed hint of floral character and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is enjoyably sinewy and structured, thanks to the bright, high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is long, dry and moderately grippy with a fresh and crunchy aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of tobacco, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of ripe cranberry and a touch of wild strawberry.
  
  A delicious, wonderfully fragrant and so very elegant Sangiovese-driven wine that packs great sense of intensity, laser-sharp precision and quite a bit of tannic grip, but at the same time comes across as relatively light on its feet for a Chianti Classico. I guess the portion that undergoes carbonic maceration contributes to the wonderfully perfumed overall character, because these Val delle Corti Chianti Classicos seem to be more floral than their Riserva version, which doesn't see any carbonic. However, the carbonic maceration doesn't really lend any bubblegum-y Beaujolais Nouveau aromatics to the wine, but instead makes the wine feel somewhat similar to, say, a perfumed Barbaresco that sees extended skin contact after the fermentation. This wine is very much open for business right now, but with its impressive structure and intensity of flavors, I can see it easily improving for years more. An excellent purchase at 20€.

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