Rocca di Montegrossi San Marcellino Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2017

“The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino is potent, but also shockingly closed for this dry, warm year. Readers will have to be patient with the 2017 as it needs quite a bit of time to be at its best. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, cloves and licorice all build into the huge, explosive finish. There’s tremendous substance here, not to mention tons of sheer character. Drinking window: 2025-2037. 94 points

Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi turned out another spectacular set of wines. His 2020 Chianti Classico shows how promising the vintage is, while the 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino and 2018 Geremia are terrific editions of both wines. As always, the house style deftly marries Gaiole fruit intensity with structure. The wines are so appealing on release (partly because the top selections see a few years in bottle first), but they really blossom with cellaring.”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (07/22)