Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico 2023

91 Points, James Suckling

What makes Albola special is elevation. These are some of the highest vineyards in the entire Chianti Classico appellation – planted between 1,150 and 2,130 feet above sea level on alberese limestone and galestro schist soils. That altitude creates significant day-night temperature swings that give Sangiovese pronounced aromatics, structure, elegance, and a distinctive freshness and minerality you don’t find at lower elevations.

Suckling calls it “solid and focused” with “ripe red berries, dusty earth, mild tobacco, iodine and spice box” that’s “medium-bodied with a compact structure and a fresh core of fruit wrapped with smooth, velvety tannins. Fleshy and soft.” This is textbook Chianti Classico that drinks beautifully now or will age gracefully for years.