The 2020 Chianti Classico is gorgeous and precise, with tons of old-world charm. The aromatics alone are quite open and expressive. Wild cherry, dried herbs, earthiness, menthol, tobacco and incense lend quite a bit of nuance. This mid-weight Chianti Classico is the archetype of Castelnuovo Berardenga. The 2020 is beautifully done.

Fresh with vibrant cherry and Mediterranean herbs, the 2020 Chianti Classico Pagliarese is ripe and approachable. Medium bodied, with red berries and saline earth, it has a pleasantly angular structure and a clean finish. This is a great value wine to drink on pizza or pasta nights in the near-term.

Earthy, offering cherry, eucalyptus, sanguine and tobacco flavors. Ends with a broad swath of tannins. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Mammolo. Drink now through 2025.

The 2020 Chianti Classico is an entry-level blend of Sangiovese, Mammolo and Canaiolo. What all these grapes have in common is bright fruit, cherry, earthiness and good freshness. This wine offers all of that, but it also throws in an exotic quality that I might liken to an aroma found in a Turkish covered market. That spicy note is rounded off by smoke, tar and balsam herb, and much of it certainly comes from the hot vintage. This wine ages in large Slavonian oak cask, and 40,000 bottles were made.