San Giorgio a Lapi, Bandecca Chianti Classico Riserva, 2021 - Magnum

Grapes

Sangiovese, Canaiolo

Vintage report

Tuscany's 2021 growing season began with a soggy spring that had growers muttering into their espressos, followed by a summer that swung between scorching heat and welcome August rains. The real drama came at harvest time when many producers had to pick fast and choose wisely, dancing around September downpours that separated the meticulous from the merely hopeful. Those who waited too long paid the price, but the estates that timed it right caught fruit with lovely ripeness and crucially intact acidity.

What emerged feels like Tuscany with its shirt sleeves rolled up — wines that are more approachable and less brooding than the powerhouse vintages we've grown used to. The Sangiovese shows bright red fruit and genuine charm rather than the dense, muscular character of recent years, whilst the international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot retained surprising freshness despite the heat. We're finding these wines drink beautifully now with a few years of bottle age, though the best Chiantis and Super Tuscans will happily cellar for another decade if you can resist them that long.