Tenuta Le Calcinaie Santa Maria Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva DOCG 2018

Simone Santini has fashioned a pure, rich Chianti that is nothing short of awe inspiring in his 2018 Le Calcinaie Santa Maria Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva (95% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo). In fact, the 2018 Santa Maria Riserva is the finest Chianti we have tasted in years. Rich and plush in aroma, and delightfully complex, the deeply colored 2018 Le Calcinaie Santa Maria Riserva exudes dark cherry, blackberry, freshly cured tobacco, and an intoxicating hint of exotic spice. In the mouth, the wine’s multitude of flavors truly come to fore, carried perfectly on a bed of racy, ripe tannins. Simone Santini’s Santa Maria Riserva is not to be missed: it sets the bar high and delivers on all fronts. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest opening the 2018 Le Calcinaie Santa Maria Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva an hour ahead of serving at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2024-2030. Enjoy!

The Tuscan table contains a multitude of culinary delights – everything from simple flavorful dishes to the thickest, most succulent Florentine Steak, all of which beg for a wine like Tenuta Le Calcinaie’s Santa Maria 2018 Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva. For starters, consider Sienese Crepes filled with smoked Tuscan meats and pecorino cheese; Fennel Pie with melted cheese and vegetables; and Semolina Pasta with a mushroom or truffle sauce. Tuscan bean and lentil dishes pair beautifully, too, but save a glass or two for a flavor packed Florentine Steak – a thick cut of Porterhouse from Tuscany’s special breed of cattle. A good American Porterhouse works nearly as well, especially when rubbed with garlic, herbs, and plenty of olive oil. In fact, almost any fresh pasta, pork, poultry, game bird, and inspired bean dish will prove a successful partner to what was once the Great Santini’s best kept secret – the 2018 Tenuta Le Calcinaie Santa Maria 2018 Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva. Buon Appetito!

The tiny Tenuta Le Calcinaie estate is situated within the confines of the medieval Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano, made famous by its many towers. Considering the location and attention to quality at Le Calcinaie, this little jewel of a property has become quite renowned for its rare and exceptional Vernaccia di San Gimignano (for which the town of San Gimignano is also justly famous) as well as the Chianti Colli Senesi appellation’s finest red wine, Santa Maria Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva 2018 (this month’s feature). Considering the surfeit of fine Tuscan wines, it should come as no surprise that Tenuta Le Calcinaie has been so keenly identified with Tuscany’s most celebrated red and white wines.

Behind the success of Tenuta Le Calcinaie is the affable and witty Simone Santini, known near and far as the Great Santini! Simone is gifted with an archetypal Tuscan sense of humor; he possesses a vibrant wit and an acute sense of irony. He is also an excellent winemaker, and his estate is completely certified organic. His wines are classically wrought, exceptionally focused, and bursting with flavor.

Simone fashions several special Chiantis at Le Calcinaie: the estate’s flagship offering, the Santa Maria Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva and a lighter Chianti Colli Senesi, the latter ideal for near term drinking. Tenuta Le Calcinaie also fashions Tuscany’s quintessential Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Come, taste, and experience why Tenuta Le Calcinaie’s wines have become perennial favorites among our members. In the hands of a true artisan, “The Great Santini,” everything is possible.

Tuscany enjoys a unique position in Italy. Located in the center of the Italian peninsula, its cities, culture, and people have existed for thousands of years in the throes of conflict. Drawing strength from its ancient Etruscan origin, which lent Rome its ability to build and engineer feats of unparalleled proportion, the inhabitants of Tuscany have shaped an austere, mystifyingly beautiful countryside into a rich, fecund land. And, from the dynamic tension that held sway over Florence and its neighbors during the Middle Ages, there emerged the Renaissance – a 15th century ideal that made “man the measure of all things.” In harmony with a singularly beautiful land that has been inexorably shaped by the finest artistry of man, Tuscans have created a nearly ideal world in which agriculture, architecture, art, thought, and wine continue to form one seamless vital union. Nowhere in Tuscany is this truer than in San Gimignano, where the city’s medieval towers reach for the sky and point to the limitless nature of the Tuscan spirit.