At the Chianti Classico Collection at the Leopolda we focused on the vintage type, often overshadowed by Riserve and Gran Selezione, but still the most direct way to interpret the terroir. In the glass two very different vintages, 2023 and 2024. Riccardo Viscardi tells us about them.
Chianti Classico “dot”
Once again this year, at the Chianti Classico Collection at the Leopolda, I focused on the vintage. It is probably the most fun, flexible and, in some respects, also the most contemporary typology for reading the territory.
It is also the historically most important one: the Black Rooster has become world famous precisely because of these wines. In recent years this version has been somewhat neglected in favor of Sangiovese-based Riservas, Gran Selezione and Igt., but I continue to greatly appreciate Chianti Classico “point.”
Two very different vintages
The Collection was attended by two thousandths, 2023 and 2024. This depends both on the timing of the event-February is rather early-and on the fact that some producers prefer to go out to market after longer bottle aging.
The two vintages turn out to be quite different from each other.
2024: freshness and drinkability
After the tastings, the 2024 appears to be a vintage that lends itself very well to the vintage typology: fresh, perfumed, pleasantly drinkable wines with a nice presence of the sapidity (acidity? freshness?) that is the soul of Chianti Classico and sets it apart from many other Tuscan appellations.
The higher areas sometimes show slightly more verdant characters, while the lower areas are more succulent. This is part of the variety of the terroir, which becomes particularly legible in the glass.
2023: more complex vintage
More complicated is the 2023 grape harvest, which has suffered more from some weather and other adversities. In this case, the higher areas often benefited from the climatic situation, with olfactory profiles less marked by autumnal underbrush notes and a less “sitting” mouthfeel.
The better-structured wineries in the cellar, however, managed to handle the vintage well, presenting excellent wines.
Growing small businesses
During the tastings we sampled all the references present and noticed the qualitative growth of some small or very small companies, which often fail to find space in our Essential Guide precisely because of the limited quantities. This selection is also meant to be a way to enhance them.
However given the substantial differences between the two vintages it will be up to the consumer to choose the Chianti Classico they like best.
Chianti Classico 2024
95/100
- Chianti Classico Capaccioli 2024 Capaccioli-Poggio Niccolini
94/100
- Chianti Classico Tenuta de Carlini 2024 Belvedere1
- Chianti Classico Sonocosì 2024 Jurij Fiore & Figlie
93/100
- Chianti Classico 2024 Calcamura (organic wine)
- Chianti Classico Coste di Felice 2024 Castellaccio
- Chianti Classico Morino 2024 Mori Concetta
92/100
- Chianti Classico Tornus 2024 Castello di Tornano
Chianti Classico 2023
94/100
- Chianti Classico 2023 Istine
- Chianti Classico Forcole 2023 Tenuta degli Dei
93/100
- Chianti Classico Curva del Vescovo 2023 Cantina Poggio Borgoni
- Chianti Classico 2023 L’Acero
- Chianti Classico 2023 Le Fonti
- Chianti Classico 2023 Podere Campriano
92/100
- Chianti Classico 2023 Castello di Radda
- Chianti Classico 2023 Tenuta San Vincenti
