2020 Istine - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG (750ml)
Istine is a Chianti Classico estate based in Radda, led by winemaker Angela Fronti, who took over her family's vineyards in the early 2000s and has built the property into one of the appellation's most closely watched producers. The estate is best known for its single-vineyard cru project, bottling wines separately from named parcels such as Cavarchione and Vigna Istine, and farms its vineyards organically.
The Riserva Le Vigne sits at the top of Istine's range, made only in strong vintages from a blend of the estate's three named cru vineyards. After fermentation the wine is aged for two full years in Austrian oak from the Stockinger cooperage, a slower, gentler regimen intended to build structure without letting oak character dominate the fruit.
The 2020 offers a deep, layered nose of black cherry, plum, graphite, clove, and licorice, with a subtle menthol lift running through the glass. On the palate it is dense yet refined, with silky tannins and a long, focused finish that shows little of the oak sometimes found in past vintages. Pair it with braised short rib or a hearty beef stew.