2021 Poggio Bonelli Villa Chigi Saracini Chianti 750 ml

It was a misty spring day when we visited Poggio Bonelli, stopping by the estate on our way from Montalcino to Florence.

There are too many highlights from the trip to recount—including the ancient marble busts in the barrel room recounting the property’s 16th-century history, and our tour of the estate’s meticulously planted vineyards. But the memento we were happiest to come home with was today’s bottling.

Poggio Bonelli’s 2021 Villa Chigi Chianti was crafted under the supervision of a true Italian master: 100-point talent Carlo Ferrini, hailed by Wine Spectator as “one of Tuscany’s great winemakers.”

Among our members, this producer is basically synonymous with must-buy Sangiovese. Poggio Bonelli makes some of our highest-rated Chiantis EVER, and the 2021 Villa Chigi, boosted by 92-point praise from James Suckling, is destined to join those ranks—and it’s just under $17!

With this bottling, Ferrini created the near-perfect pasta wine, framed by sturdy tannins and full-bodied enough to stand up to any sauce. When Spectator published a column on the best Chianti to pair with a plate of luxuriously creamy cacio e pepe, they selected this, calling it the “ideal choice.”

Named after the town near the Castelnuovo Berardenga vineyards where the grapes are sourced, this wine is a sleek, sensuous Sangiovese expression. This bottle’s sensational pairing ability was further confirmed when we punctuated our trip to Poggio Bonelli with a visit to Dario Cecchini’s famous butcher shop in Panzano. There, we shared a ruby-red glass of the 2021 Villa Chigi with Dario while devouring endless slices of beef carpaccio from a heavily laden platter—pure Tuscan heaven.

There’s no easier—or affordable—way to elevate a weeknight meal than with this stunning Chianti.