Rocca delle Macie Chianti Riserva 2019 - Tuscany, Italy

90/100 Vic Harradine
90/100 James Suckling (2018)

Bronze - Decanter (2015)

Organic - currently undergoing certification

Sangiovese 90%, Merlot 5% and Cabernet Sauvignon 5%

Vic Harradine " It’s medium weight, nicely textured with good red fruit flavour framed with tang and underpinned by wisps of soft tannin. A wash of pie cherry and red currant jelly races over the palate persisting through the finish and adorned with wisps of tannin on the aftertaste.....Aromas of cherry/berry fruit and floral notes introduce a medium-bodied, nicely textured stream of lively, tang-laden palate flavour with red currant, ripe black cherry and passionfruit. This is primarily Sangiovese with a cup or two of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Best poured with pasta in a tomato-based sauce; try spaghetti Bolognese or pasta puttanesca."

James Suckling "Cherry and orange peel with some spice. Medium-bodied with creamy tannins and a fresh, savory finish. Sangiovese with some cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Delicious now." (2018 vintage)

Decanter "...packed tight with ripe fruit flavors and sunshine-driven aromas of ripe fruit and blackberry confit. Indeed, the wine is too ripe for my tastes, with a taste profile that stops just short of jammy and sweet. Dried cherry and blackcurrant are followed by tar, smoke and cured leather." (2015 vintage)

Rocca delle Macìe was established in 1973, when Italo Zingarelli – producer of Ettore Scola’s “We All Loved Each Other So Much”, and also of the wildly popular series of films featuring comedy duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill (including “They Call Me Trinity” and “Trinity Is Still My Name”) – decided to realize his lifelong dream by acquiring the “Le Macìe” estate – extending across 93 hectares (230 acres) in all, of which only two were under vine – in order to create a winery in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.

The estate now extends to more than 500 hectares (1250 acres) with, in total, more than 200 (500 acres) used as vineyards and 22 (54 acres) as olive groves, subdivided across the company’s six estates: Le Macìe, Sant’Alfonso, Fizzano e le Tavolelle in the Chianti Classico Area, in addition to the Campomaccione and Casa Maria estates in the Morellino di Scansano Area (Maremma).

The Chianti region is located in Tuscany, that romantic area of central Italy known for its sweeping landscapes, burning hot sun and its wealth of art and food history. Like most other wines made in the Old World, Chianti derives its name not from the grape used to make the wine, which is Sangiovese, but from the region where it is made.

For a Chianti to be a Chianti, it must be produced in the Chianti region and be made from at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. While most Chiantis are 100% Sangiovese, some winemakers in the region like to blend the Sangiovese with a little Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah to soften the finish of the wine.

The Chianti region in Italy's Tuscany wine growing region is split between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Accordingly, two separate DOCG designations apply to wines from the Chianti region: the Chianti Classico DOCG for the heartland of Chianti, and Chianti DOCG for all other Chianti regions. (In 1984, the Chianti region was promoted from DOC to DOCG - Italy’s highest classification - and in 1996, Chianti Classico - the historic heartland of the region - DOCG was created, which gave autonomy to that region. In the last 20 years, a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.” The typical Chianti Classico wine is a ruby-red, Sangiovese-based wine with aromas of violets and cherries and a hint of earthy spice.

The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna."

Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.

Merlot is a red wine grape variety with strong historic ties to Bordeaux and the southwest of France. It is the second most-planted red wine grape variety in the world, after Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is extremely popular in northern Italy, the United States. Chile has built its reputation mainly on its Merlot-based cuvées. Merlot's flavour profile includes plum and black cherry. Often described as producing smooth, rounded and "easy drinking" wines. Merlot is often used to great effect in blends, and is known in his capacity to make some of the most famous wines in the world.