WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione is produced exclusively from the finest Sangiovese grapes from the eponymous estate located in the heart of Chianti Classico. The area has been renowned for its wine production since the year 1000. The vineyards extend over soil rich in limestone with moderate amounts of clay at an altitude of approximately 300 meters above sea level. The wine is aged in the historic cellars of the 10th-century Badia di Passignano.
TASTING NOTES:
The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is dark, pliant and super-expressive. Black cherry, plum, leather, spice and mocha fill out the wine's broad shoulders nicely. As always, the Badia is defined by its volume, but these days, there is much less oak impact in terms of flavor and tannin profile. Two thousand twenty-two was not the easiest vintage to rein back intensity, but this is a terrific effort just the same. The 2023 was aged mostly in 3HL casks, with some barrique.
- Vinous, 94 pts.
Floral and savory with macerated violets, lush black cherries and balsamic depth. Bone-dry on the palate with crisp acidity, medium body and chalky yet ripe tannins. Long, persistent finish. Drink or hold.
- James Suckling, 93 pts.
A linear, dense red, whose strawberry and cherry flavors are delineated by vivid acidity and embraced by vanilla and oak spice notes. Builds to the lingering aftertaste, where the red fruit and oak accents linger beside dusty tannins. Shows fine potential; this just needs time. Best from 2027 through 2042.
- Wine Spectator, 93 pts.
From vineyards surrounding the centuries-old Benedictine abbey in the district of San Donato in Poggio, this is Antinori’s staple Gran Selezione with 120,000 bottles produced. The 2022 offers plenty of early appeal. Scents of mocha, liquorice and candied violets entice. Cheerful in fruit, it recalls dark cherry purée and raspberry coulis. Subtle stony minerals surface on the mid-palate, and soft, supple tannins embrace while wood nuances seduce. Seems a bit naive at the moment but could show greater complexity with time.
- Decanter, 92 pts.
