Mission Codename Ninetyniner
Were you good at hide and seek growing up?
You found it! That one lonesome 99-pointer Super-Tuscan jewel of the day for… wait. Is that a pricing error? Double-checking, please hold the line… it’s CORRECT, just 45 bucks?! Wow. Is it sold out yet?
If not, grab all you can before others do.
Why? Because not only is this one of Tuscany’s most talked about gems, but we will most probably never see another of these at this price again as the press on them, year in year out, is off the charts.
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous puts it best: “Il Carbonaione has long been the flagship, but all three top selections are compelling. But if I had to choose one, it would be the 100% Sangiovese Il Carbonaione, which remains one of the most intriguing wines in all of Italy, especially once it has had a few years in bottle.” And guess what? THIS HAS!
Snagged all we could out of the importer’s library because a top restaurant group could not take their allocation. Wasn’t much, but lucky us, lucky you, for finding and grabbing some.
99 Points – James Suckling
“A really exotic nose with so much dried herb character, ranging from thyme and sage to Thai basil. Then there’s more familiar and equally appealing dark blackcurrants, crushed stones and lavender. Full body with very refined tannins that both coat and caress the palate. A long, chewy finish. Drink in 2022.”
What the Winery Says
2017 'Il Carbonaione' Alta Valle della Greve IGT
- Winemakers
- Vittorio Fiore
- Winemaker / Proprietor
- Marco Bacci
- Vintage
- 2017
- Varietal
- 100% Sangiovese di Lamole
- Commune
- Ruffoli-Greve in Chianti, Tuscany
- Vineyard
- Carbonaione Vineyard
- Soils
- Sandy, rich in loam, quite rocky
- Vine age
- Over 80 years
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Elevation
- 1,476 feet above sea level
- Exposure
- West-Southwest
- Harvest dates
- October 1-15, 2015
- First vintage
- 1992
- Aging
- 14 months
- Barrels
- 100% new French 350-liter tonneuax