Sangiovese
75cl * 14.5% ABV * Chianti Classic DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
Badia a Passignano is located above the town of Sambuca Val di Pesa, just 3 kilometers south of the Tenuta Tignanello estate. The property extends over an area of 223 hectares (551 acres), of which 65 hectares (160 acres) are planted with vines. The estate’s historical importance in the Chianti region is well-documented in hundreds of volumes that are kept in the Florence State Archives that provide details of the Sangiovese vineyards and local crops over the centuries. Further proof of this came to light in 1983, when a thousand year old vitis vinifera plant was discovered on the land surrounding Badia a Passignano.
Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione is produced exclusively from the finest Sangiovese grapes harvested from its namesake vineyard, located in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. The region has been respected and appreciated for its outstanding wine production since the year 1000. The vineyards grow at an altitude of approximately 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level on soils rich in limestone with a fair amount of clay. The wine was aged in Hungarian oak barrels, and a small percentage in French oak, for several months in the historic cellars under the Badia (abbey) of Passignano that dates back to the 10th century.
The wine is intense on the nose, with notes of ripe red fruit and sour cherries, together with citrus and lavender, sweet notes of vanilla, and spicy aromas of cloves and leather. The palate is full but sustained by silky, vibrant tannins that accompany a lengthy finish - persistent and strong - with a pleasant aftertaste of bitter cocoa and citrus. Decant and serve at 16-18 °C with ragù or truffle tagliatelle.
Drinking Window: now - 2042
"This is a really velvety and open with a caressing texture that entices every sip. Medium-bodied with gorgeous brightness and complexity." James Suckling, 94 pts.
"Laced with pure flavours of cherry and raspberry and shaded by a spicy oak element, this bright, balanced red is elegant yet reveals fine intensity. Light tannins line the lingering finish as iron and tobacco notes join in. Best from 2026-2042." Wine Spectator, 94 pts.
"A saturated dark magenta-ruby color, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia A Passignano is well layered with aromas of fresh leather, black cherry liqueur, vanilla bean, black licorice, and forest floor. Full-bodied without weight, it is well-balanced and very elegant with ripe fruit lasting long on the palate with ripe tannins that are well integrated, fresh underpinnings and saline, with notes of black tea on the finish. It is a lovely ripe wine, with a hint of game, that will mature slowly over the next 15-20 years. It strikes a wonderful balance of polish and purity." Jeb Dunnuck, 94 pts.