Sangiovese night for my 39th birthday

We gathered for my birthday and as it's already a tradition we had a (another) Sangiovese night! The theme was simply 8+ years of aging to include the 2016 vintage :)

• 1997 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo Toscana IGT 95 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Beautiful color, still looking like a 10-year-old wine, but of course, this doesn't apply to Percarlo. The nose reveals an embarrassingly complex yet youthful profile: perfectly ripe fruit, balsamic notes, meaty character, spices, undergrowth, and even a hint of coffee. On the palate, it’s truly wonderful, with tannins still standing out, sharp acidity that is well balanced by the tannins and the lovely body. The finish? Needless to say, it’s incredibly long.

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• 2013 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Intense garnet color, with a palate where balsamic notes and coffee come through first, followed by crisp fruit, rosemary, earthy tones, and a damp forest character. The palate shows great intensity yet finesse, though the tannins still need time to settle. Excellent length on the finish. When Costanti wines pass the 10-year mark, calling them a sure thing would be an understatement. In 5 years it could reach its peak and be even better than now! 94+

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• 2016 Montevertine Toscana IGT 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Youthful in color, a beautiful cherry red with almost purple hues. The nose highlights floral notes and crisp fruit, with a balsamic touch and a hint of orange peel in the background. The palate is refined yet with present tannins, perhaps rougher than Costanti at the moment, but it has three fewer years of aging. A great finish in both taste and length.

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• 2016 Podere il Palazzino Chianti Classico Grosso Sanese Gran Selezione 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Beautiful color, still youthful on the nose, with crunchy fruit, orange, earthy, and iron-like notes. The palate is still young but already approachable, with obviously lively tannins. Excellent length on the finish. I’d rank it the fourth best wine of the night—different, but with similar potential to Montevertine.

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• 2015 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  A wine halfway between the old and new Brolio style, with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Balsamic notes, ripe fruit, but also black pepper and a slightly vegetal touch. A more crowd-pleasing and polished wine, which loses out compared to the others, but still ranks fifth, not entirely due to its own faults.

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• 2017 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Dark garnet color, ripe fruit, coffee, mushroomy notes, and perhaps a touch too much sweetness. On the palate, it feels a bit excessive and therefore less enjoyable, but it has a very long finish. A clear product of the 2017 vintage, and next to so many great wines, it doesn’t quite shine.

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• 2016 Podere il Palazzino Chianti Classico Argenina 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Despite loving Argenina, this specific bottle left little impression on me, especially on the nose, likely overshadowed by Corbaia and Montevertine. The palate was better, with nice freshness and without the harshness that sometimes characterizes it in its youth. I suspect suboptimal storage in the wine shop.

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• 2016 Salustri Montecucco Santa Marta 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montecucco

  Very pleasant, floral and fruity, with herbal notes. Maybe less complex than the others, but it’s available for around 15-20 euros, making it a great value.

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• 2016 Castello di Bossi Corbaia Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, a bit of a monster for the evening, not really fitting in. The nose features coffee, chocolate, vegetal notes, but also a meaty element with decidedly sweeter fruit. The palate is soft despite pronounced tannins and low acidity. Not terrible, but out of place in this lineup.

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As you can read Percarlo and Costanti, even at different stages of their aging potential, were very close and I consider them both the winner of the evening. Close up was Montevertine followed closely by Grosso Sanese, while the rest more distanced even if there were other very nice wines. Cheers!