This Giant Killer is Vin Chicago's Italian Red of the Year!
Each year, the Gambero Rosso publication assesses over 50,000 new Italian wines. Less than 1% of those wines earn the heralded "Tre Bicchieri" award.
In February, Gambero Rosso hosted a road show in Chicago presenting this year's Tre Bicchieri winners. We were there and, of all these great wines from each corner of Italy, we found one offering a combination of beauty, character and pricing that stood proudly above the rest.
Was it from Barolo, Brunello, or Barbaresco? Nope! A Chianti or Amarone? Uh Uh! Our #1 Italian red of the year is the 2021 Tenuta di Valgiano "Palistorti" from Northern Tuscany's Colline Lucchesi commune, and we are beyond excited to bring it to you today.
Read on for our tasting notes on this gorgeous Tuscan red, and for the brand new release of Suavia's stunning "Monte Carbonare" Soave, then click on the Big Yellow Button to secure your supply!
2021 Tenuta di Valgiano "Palistorti" Rosso
Colline Lucchesi, Tuscany, Italy
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This dark-hued wine explodes from the glass with an absolutely stacked deck of black cherry, fresh plum, truffle, cedar, salumi, fennel frond, tobacco, dried orange peel, and mint. It’s a wine teeming with so much energy and vivacity, you’ll think it might just dance away from the table!
Proprietors Moreno Petrini and Laura di Collobiano have owned their property since 1993 and have farmed according to biodynamic and organic practices for over two decades. Recently, their son, Martino, has also joined the winemaking team. Their “Palistorti” is a Super Tuscan style blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 10% Syrah and it is positively revelatory!
Our knees literally weakened while tasting this one. As outstanding as it already is, the Palistorti has a great track record of aging and it has probably not even yet reached its peak. We award 93+ Points on our scale and feel that we're probably being conservative.
This triumphant red outshined hundreds of truly great wines at the biggest Italian wine party of the year. Tasting it again this week recalled the emotional experience of that day. You'll want to pop the cork and pour glasses 20 minutes ahead to enjoy the full beauty!
The median online retail for this unsung gem is a fantastic $35. That's a fraction of the price of the mega-buck trophies that it surpassed. Today, thanks to the Chicago-based importer's long, direct relationship with the family, we bring our Italian Red Wine of the Year to you for even less!
Vin Chicago Price: 28.99
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2022 Suavia "Monte Carbonare" Soave Classico
Veneto, Italy
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If you, like us, have succumbed to the spell of Suavia’s dynamic “Monte Carbonare” Soave, you'll be excited to hear that it is back!
This deftly honed, single-vineyard Soave from the three Tessari sisters delivers precision, freshness and gorgeous volcanic minerality. It is as harmonious and sophisticated a white as you’ll ever see at this price.
Produced since 1986, their premium "Monte Carbonare" bottling comes from coal-like black soils planted to 60-year-old vines and it just keeps getting better with each release. The previous vintage earned a pair of 95-Point ratings from the press. This time, we bring it to you ahead of the press.
Held on its lees for a full 12 months, while never undergoing malolactic fermentation, it delivers engaging notes of green pear and yellow plum along with an exotic essence of roasted spiced peach, powdered sea salt, fresh green herbs kissed by honey, white balsamico, and blanched almond. It is a pure ballerina in its balance and poise.
This wine really struts its stuff once opened to air for about 30 minutes and as it warms to well above fridge temperature. At 12.5% ABV, it is wonderfully sippable and you'll want to enjoy it all night long. We adore the way it is vital and fresh with very invigorating acidity but never stings.
Median online retail for this hot new release is $32. At a bit more than six bucks less, our price beats all five listings. It borders on criminal that a wine this good sells for so little, but we’re happy to be complicit in the act with you!
Vin Chicago Price: 25.79
