2011 Chianti Classico Badia a Passignano

The 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano shows some wear and tear of the vintage heat with dark fruit aromas and jammy nuances of blackberry preserves and cherry marmalade. The wine is 100% Sangiovese and it does present those sassy and slightly spicy aromas that you get with top-notch Chianti Classico. The Badia a Passignano property tends to make sweet and more succulent wines. This is definitely the case here, although you also get more simplicity. I would suggest a near to medium-term drinking window.

The 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is laced with violets, lavender, menthol, plums, sage, black cherries and dark spice. Translucent in the glass, yet also quite deep, the 2011 exudes considerable depth and resonance, all signatures of this clay-rich terroir. Still, considering the warm, early-ripening year, the 2011 remains fresh, vibrant and pulsating in style, largely because the clay soils are also moisture-retaining.