Valiano 6.38 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2016
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James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Bright red with dark ruby reflexes. The nose is elegant, with ripe red fruit in great balance with delicate spicy notes. Intense palate, full bodied and soft with a well - balanced acidity and a pleasant spicy and fruity aftertaste. Clean, persistent and generous finish.
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Quite a fresh and sleek nose for a Gran Selezione, this shows violets, nutmeg, Chinese spices, lavender and citrus. A grainy and finely yet seriously structured palate follows — medium-to-full in body and deep and generous in flavor. Drink from 2021.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Valiano 6.38 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is formidable and lasting on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of black fruit and a suggestion of oak. Pair it with a well-seasoned roast leg of lamb. (Tasted: February 17, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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Decanter
Chunky, youthful style, with oak presently to the fore, complemented by dark plums, dark cherries and concentrated damsons, showing touches of charcoal and soy sauce.
Other Vintages
2018-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
Fattoria di Valiano is situated in the hills of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southern commune in the Chianti area, in the province of Siena, is one of the most prestigious zones in the Chianti Classico area.
The estate dates back more than 2000 years, back to the Gallic Wars times. In 1960, the land was owned by the President of the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi, and acquired by the Piccini Family in 1995. The villa was completely renovated, keeping the traditional features of the estate. The property has 230 hectares including seven hectares of olive groves; 70 hectares are dedicated to vines.
Grape varieties include Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chardonnay. The vineyards are located 350–400 meters above sea level with south, south west exposure.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.