2022 Antinori, Piero - Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano (750ml)

Marchesi Antinori's Badia a Passignano estate sits above the town of Sambuca Val di Pesa in the San Donato in Poggio subzone of Chianti Classico, about three kilometers south of the Tignanello estate. Its cellars lie beneath the Badia, an abbey that dates to the 10th century, making this one of Antinori's most historic Chianti Classico properties.

The Gran Selezione is made entirely from Sangiovese grown in the estate's namesake vineyard. The 2022 growing season saw lower than average rainfall until August, and the grapes ripened with good freshness. The wine is aged in the abbey cellars, bottled on the estate, and rested further in bottle before release. In recent vintages the winemaking has aimed for less oak influence and more red fruit character.

Intense ruby red in the glass, the wine opens with marasca cherry, currant, black plum, dog rose, and lavender, with hints of chestnut honey, iron, and savory leather. The palate is plush yet balanced, with fine, chalky tannins and fresh acidity carrying a long, persistent finish. Dark and pliant, it has the generous volume the Badia is known for, now with a more refined oak profile, and it should evolve gracefully in the cellar.