2016 Castello di Meleto Vigna Poggiarso Chianti Classico Riserva 750 ml

Winemakers in Chianti Classico felt it coming in the steady rhythm of summer’s long, sunny days: a moderate, even warmth that would last well into September. The thin-skinned berries they plucked off the vines with juice-stained fingers boasted big, structural flavors and crystal-cut acidity. They knew that 2016 would be one of the best vintages of their lifetimes.

Heralded by Vinous founder Antonio Galloni as “A Modern Day Benchmark”—which he adorned with 94-point praise—the 2016 vintage in Chianti Classico made good wines great, and lifted great wines into the stratosphere, letting them compete with the best wines in all of Tuscany, from Tignanello to Biondi-Santi.

It’s an extraordinarily nuanced portrait of Sangiovese elegance: rich, seductive, laced with minerals on the palate, and perfumed with red cherry, roses, spice, and tobacco.

“Bright acids and lifted floral notes give the 2016 its distinctly gracious, refined personality,” raved Galloni in his review. Citing the “elegant, polished feel,” he concluded: “The Vigna Poggiarso is not an obvious wine, but it is undeniably appealing and very pretty.”

The Poggiarso Vineyard is the coldest and driest plot on the 800-year-old Castello di Meleto property, which spans 2400 acres and contains 400 acres of grapes. Hand-harvesting is a must because the slopes are pitched and the vineyards are perched at the upper limits of the region’s altitude, over 1700 feet. These challenging conditions result in low yields but outstanding grapes, which then spend over two years in large-format French oak casks. What emerges are wines of fierce purity and deep complexity.

For a critically acclaimed 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva that should cost way more, you’ll want to buy as much of this as you can.