Vinous (92)

The estate's 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva Badia a Passignano bursts from the glass with expressive dark cherries, plums, flowers and cloves. The Badia a Passignano is a bit brighter and more focused than the Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, largely because it is 100% Sangiovese. Hints of tobacco, leather and cedar add further nuances on the soft, resonant finish. Over the last few years, the Badia a Passignano has been one of the most improved wines in the Antinori range.

Vinous (94)

The 2013 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is remarkable wine in many ways. For starters, the 2013 is the first vintage of the Badia a Passignano done entirely in cask and in a more refined style than was the norm in the past, when this wine was rather bombastic. Outrageously beautiful, vivid and voluptuous, the wine is dark and enveloping, with tons of character and remarkable finesse. To be sure, this site will always produce ample, broad wines, but the 2013 is also incredibly elegant.

Vinous (94)

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is a terrific example of how responsive Sangiovese can be to site. Here, the flavors are darker and richer, while at the same time the wine possesses a level of textural resonance and breadth that distinguishes it from the more linear wines Antinori makes at the Tignanello vineyard. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol fill out the wine's frame effortlessly. This is another stellar wine from Antinori.

Vinous (94)

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is a terrific example of how responsive Sangiovese can be to site. Here, the flavors are darker and richer, while at the same time the wine possesses a level of textural resonance and breadth that distinguishes it from the more linear wines Antinori makes at the Tignanello vineyard. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and menthol fill out the wine's frame effortlessly. This is another stellar wine from Antinori.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is dark and sumptuous, with its soft contours very much in evidence. In 2017, the Badia a Passignano is not quite as potent as it can be, but in exchange it will drink well pretty much right out of the gate. Time in the glass brings out red tonalities of fruit and sweet floral notes, along with hints of cedar, spice and red cherry that linger.

James Suckling (95)

This is a really beautiful red with cherry, blackberry, violet and chocolate character. Full and layered, yet it remains linear and bright, with an energetic finish. So drinkable now, but better in 2024.

James Suckling (95)

This is a really beautiful red with cherry, blackberry, violet and chocolate character. Full and layered, yet it remains linear and bright, with an energetic finish. So drinkable now, but better in 2024.

Vinous (92)

The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is packed with inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather and incense. Opulent and flamboyant to the core, the 2019 speaks in a loud, brash voice. There's a ton of richness, but less in the way of finesse. After many years of tasting this wine, I have to conclude the Badia is never going to be a particularly refined Chianti Classico. It's just not in its DNA.

James Suckling (94)

A tight, fruity red with black-cherry and blueberry aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with chewy yet fine-grained tannins. Love the polish and focus. Driven and linear. Drink after 2021.

Wine Spectator (93)

Cherry, black currant and raspberry flavors are at the heart of this red, flanked by vanilla, toasty oak, mineral and tobacco elements. There is a beam of ripe fruit and dusty tannins right through the long finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2028. 5,000 cases imported.

Wine Spectator (94)

A harmonious red, offering an expression of cherry, blackberry and floral aromas and flavors offset by a vibrant, well-integrated structure. Shows iron, tobacco, smoke and a hint of wild herbs, which weigh in as this evolves on the palate toward a lingering aftertaste. Delivers finesse and energy. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 5,000 cases imported.

Wine Spectator (95)

A sleek, elegant red, with fine purity to the aromas of cherry, black currant, iron, olive and tobacco. Shows new oak on the palate, lending both spiciness and structure offset by ample fruit and texture. Ends with a balanced, complex finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2047. 5,000 cases imported.

Wine Advocate (94+)

This is one of the big surprises of this tasting and ultimately represents one of the best buys in the entire extended Marchesi Antinori portfolio. The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori shares the DNA of Tignanello. It is Sangiovese kissed with small parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Of course, the wine is more accessible and open compared to Tignanello, and spiritually, this wine is a Chianti Classico. By that I mean that the elegant minerality of these soils and the sunny flavors of its environs are the determining characteristics. You get wildflower, iris, tart fruit and plum. The wine's enhanced mineral character, with dusty white rock, is what adds lasting complexity and depth.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91)

The 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva Villa Antinori is a deep, fleshy wine. Black cherry, spice, leather, mocha and dried herbs are nicely fleshed out. This soft, resonant Riserva offers tons of early appeal and immediacy. Plush contours wrap it all together in style.

Vinous (94)

A gorgeous, young wine, the 2017 Bolgheri Superiore Matarocchio is rich and sumptuous, with generous dark fruit, chocolate, spice and torrefaction notes. Silky tannins give the 2017 a decidedly nuanced feel to match its mid-weight personality.

Vinous (88)

Freshly cut flowers, sweet spices and dark red cherries are all woven together in the 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio. Layered and silky on the palate, the 2011 offers good balance, even if the oak is a bit pronounced. Overall, this is a solid, if not particularly exciting wine. The Gran Selezione designation appears only on the back label, which strikes me as a curious choice.

James Suckling (97)

There’s lots of clove character here, but the fruit really shines through, offering up intense hibiscus, orange rind, cranberries, Thai basil and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and really structured and refined with an agile core of red berries and savory undertones. Long but minerally on the finish. Drink from 2024.

James Suckling (96)

A polished and reserved Castello with cherry, orange-peel and chocolate aromas and flavors. Tight and round-tannined, in a very subtle and curated way. The precision in this wine is impressive. Needs time to open. Try after 2025.

Vinous (89)

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione CeniPrimo offers brilliant aromatics, sculpted fruit and a good bit of persistence, but like all of these wines, it is ultimately dominated by a cold, overly technical feel. Crushed rocks, mint, pine and spice all add nuance to a core of red cherry fruit. There is plenty of potential here, if the veneer ever comes off.

James Suckling (99)

A beautiful nose with tangerine peel, strawberries, rose petals, boysenberries, cranberries, red plums, red cherries and dark spices. Very grainy and refined on the palate with a real kick from the orange-rind undertones that permeate the entire palate. Tiptoes like a tightrope walker between power and finesse and executes its mission nearly to perfection. Drink now or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A beautiful nose that shows dark plums, vanilla, tar, tobacco and spices. Full-bodied and very powerful with punchy tannins, but some real integration to the agile fruit and acidity. The complexity and depth at the end is breathtaking. Drink from 2023.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The Barone Ricasoli 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledilà exudes an elegant fruit profile, but the wine is not without significant intensity and concentration too. With Sangiovese from clayey limestone soils rich in calcium carbonate and poor in organic matter, this wine also boasts that beautiful minerality that we saw in the others. Delicate berry fruit cedes to crushed oyster shell, dark spice and campfire ash. To the palate, the wine is high, firm and long.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The Barone Ricasoli 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Gaiole Colledilà opens to dark fruit, but perhaps more significantly, you get a slate-like mineral note that adds focus. That mineral note appears in all these beautiful Gran Selezione wines from vintner Francesco Ricasoli, but in the case of this bottle, it adds a dark or slightly brooding personality. The finish is absolutely savory and salty.

Vinous (90)

The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Roncicone is ample, creamy and expansive. Spice, dried flowers and crushed rocks add aromatic nuance. The potential for the Roncicone to be a wine of distinction is evident, but in this vintage, it just feels imprisoned by an overly technical approach.

James Suckling (98)

I love the purity of fruit to this Gran Selezione that shows hibiscus, orange peel, violets, lavender, early grey tea, cloves, tobacco and wet earth. Elegant and flowing with lithe yet structured tannins, intensely refreshing acidity and a long, complex finish. Superb sangiovese. Drink from 2023.

Experience the sublime elegance of Bernard Magrez Chianti Imani 2021, a compilation of sublime excellence from the renowned wine producer of Bernard Magrez himself. This master of viticulture expresses his unparalleled craft in this exceptional Tuscan blend, intertwining both traditional and innovative techniques with an ardent respect for the environment.

Coming from vineyards in Italy's renowned Chianti region, the hand-harvested grapes for this wine are subjected to a scrupulous selection process prior to meticulous vinification synonymous with Bernard Magrez. An enticing fusion of Sangiovese and diverse local varietals, it exudes a profound character and complexity. Notes of sumptuous red berries and hints of spice resonate in each bottle, offering a shimmering complexity to the sophisticated palate.

Highly regarded by critics and connoisseurs alike, Bernard Magrez Chianti Imani 2021 stands out as a symbol of impeccable vinous elegance and an exquisite reflection of its Tuscan roots, promising an exquisite drinking experience.