2015 Andretta Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 750 ml

Andretta’s Brunello di Montalcino was one of our highest-rated reds and greatest deals of last year. In order to top it, we were sure we’d have to look far and wide. 

Turns out we just had to dig deep… in the Andretta cellar, where we unearthed their stunning 93-94 point Chianti Classico Riserva. Hailing from an organically farmed vineyard in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone, this wine has never been available in the States.

This is Chianti Classico elegance, purity, and structure at its best. Showing a rusty ruby color with a kiss of garnet after five-plus years in the cellar, it opens with aromas of cigar box, dried rose petals, and lilacs accenting sour cherry, layers of forest floor, wild berries, and spice. A regal and lively palate of macerated cherries boasts excellent tension, and finishes with fine tannins and tobacco spice. 

Coming from the same member-favorite winery that made one of our top Italian reds, grown in the same golden Tuscan vintage, and even boasting similar plaudits from James Suckling, this 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva delivers exactly what made Andretta one of the smash hits of the last year… and does it at an unheard-of price for a wine of this quality.

We’re fairly certain Andretta is the only wine we’ve ever sold that’s made by a philosophy teacher and an aerospace engineer. In 1994, Rosalba Vitanza took a break from Hegel and Kant for a romantic weekend escape to Montalcino with her husband, Guido Andretta, who ran an aerospace consulting business. They ended up buying a half-acre of vines, and Rosalba was soon running Tenuta Vitanza and earning high scores from Wine Spectator.

Rosalba started Andretta as a 10th anniversary gift to Guido, dedicating the winery to her husband’s favorite style of Brunello: the muscular, rich, and oak-influenced type that is now known as Andretta’s bread and butter. When they ventured outside of Brunello, it was natural to look at the Chianti Classico zone—especially since a longtime friend has a pristine, organically farmed vineyard in the area of Barberino Val d’Elsa that they could tap for gorgeous grapes.

The 2015 consists of 80% Sangiovese, bolstered by Canaiolo, Colorino, Merlot, and Cabernet. Guido and Rosalba fermented the grapes in stainless steel, before aging the wine for 24 months in Slavonian oak. Now, after more than three years in the bottle, this Chianti Classico Riserva is showing the ripeness, herbal depth, and beautiful structure of Sangiovese, plus the glory of one of Tuscany’s great vintages.