Pagliarese Chianti Classico 2018

Perfectly nestled in Chianti between the two now-famous wineries Felsina and Castell’in Villa, it was Pagliarese who drew all the talk in Chianti throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. The historic estate was widely considered the best producer in all of Chianti – before some ill-timed investments and money problems in the late 80’s caused the winery to fall off and eventually forced the family to sell.

Felsina had always pined after the unique wines crafted just next door – always failing to live up to their neighbor’s opulent expression of Sangiovese. So when Pagliarese came up for sale, they swooped in. It was then that they discovered the secret.

Even though it was just a stone’s throw away, the two soils couldn’t have been further apart. The rich sandy, volcanic soil deep beneath the vineyards of Pagliarese was the secret weapon in crafting rich, age-worthy Sangiovese. But Felsina didn’t become the toast of Chianti by sitting on their laurels.

For the last two decades, Pagliarese’s fruit was the unsung hero in Felsina’s wine program– their Chianti Classico helping propel the famous winery to even greater heights. But that changed in 2015, when the Poggialis decided to resurrect their neighbors’ signature wine and bottled it as Pagliarese once again. Unsurprisingly, their inaugural release was a smashing success.

Now onto their 2018 vintage, this Chianti Classico is easily the best since the revival project started, and well worth it’s sparkling 93-point score from James Suckling. This is a great wine at an even better price. Don’t miss this one.