Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rufina 2018

Vinous said of owner Renzo Masi and Basciano, “[Masi] turns out solid, well-made and relatively inexpensive Chiantis that age well at this little-known Chianti Rufina estate. His wines all show the tell-tale refinement, high acidity, relatively low alcohol, sour cherry fruit and slight underbrush-mushroom notes that define great Rufina wines, and they couldn’t be any farther removed from alcoholic fruit bombs.”

From the heart of Chianti Rufina, on the top of a hill overlooking the Argomenna Valley on one side and the Sieve River on the other, comes our next great find. It’s muscular with good structure, great mineral-tinged fruit, dominant cherry flavors and the subtle, intricate bramble notes that make Rufinas so dang fun to drink.

A great 90-point review from Wine Spectator is tied to this $15/btl Chianti gem, which commends the wine for its “fine balance, length and character”. That kind of score from Wine Spectator doesn’t come often for wines at this price point, but it happened, and we were all over it.