2016 Castello di Radda Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 750 ml

On August 22, 2019, Antonio Galloni of Vinous—for our money, one of the greatest Italian-wine critics out there—hit “publish” on a post about the 2016 Chianti Classico vintage. At 1,800+ words, it was a long one. But that’s not what made it remarkable. 

The piece, titled “2016 Chianti Classico—A Modern Day Benchmark” was as pure of a rave as they come. It didn’t waffle, equivocate, or hedge. The first line was: “I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about Chianti Classico and its wines.”

By the time they got halfway through Galloni’s piece, Italian-wine lovers were scrambling to snap up the stellar ‘16s. But there was a section, tucked below the fold, that we’d bet many of them missed. Called “Radda Rising,” it was about how the Radda subzone, home of the highest-altitude vineyards in Chianti Classico, was positioned beautifully to escape the worst of climate change—and how superb the region’s wines had become.

Boasting 93-point scores from Wine Spectator and James Suckling, Castello di Radda’s 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is without a doubt one of the top values from that historic vintage. 

There’s little doubt that Radda is the future of Chianti Classico. Sitting in the very heart of the region, mountain-ringed Radda is the chilliest, driest part of the appellation. The brisk mountain air and steep slopes made this village’s name a byword for the type of Chianti Classico that drifts across the palate with almost Nebbiolo-like litheness, strung with taut tannins. 

Today, this wine is showing beautifully, bursting with the quality that’s making cool Radda heat up. Don’t miss it.