Mission Codename Encore, encore!
Gemellaia the Super Paso Tuscan is gonzo - temporarily maybe, we’re begging for more…
Meanwhile… how about an authentic Super Tuscan to focus on? The same score, for less money?
A few things that bring a smile to our face: Super Tuscans. 94 points. And a solid $20+ savings per bottle. Let’s be real, good Super Tuscans at this price are FEW AND FAR between. And this one is simply jamming with good-vibe-making, generous-fruit-giving style.
For Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, “Gagliole is an excellent estate, with first-rate wines produced across the price spectrum. I highly recommend the excellent wines from this estate.” As if that recent endorsement is not enough, Antonio Galloni is equally complimenting, “These are some of the most compelling wines I have tasted from Gagliole. A move towards a less extracted style and greater finesse is paying off big time. The transformation here in recent years is pretty remarkable, as readers who taste these wines will see. It has taken some time, but my feeling is that proprietor Thomas Bar and his team are finally hitting their stride.”
Equal parts Sangiovese and Merlot, and 100% irresistible! We cannot wait until you pop the cork on this beauty. The room fills with the sweet, intoxicating perfume of redolent cherries red and black. Then you take the first sip. Those cherries soar through the palate like the opening song of a massive show outdoors. Nuances of dried herbs, amaretto, mocha, and mineral accents rush in. The finish is like an encore that’s as satisfying as the main setlist, with lingering berries, ultrafine tannins, and a juicy immediacy only few Tuscans can accomplish at this price point.
Makes you wanna be in Tuscany, no? Meanwhile here’s a video from James Suckling that’s the next best thing.
Then the only question left to answer is, will the pallet we got be enough to last the day? We fear it just won’t.
94 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
“The 2018 Valletta is a blend of Sangiovese from Gagliole’s vineyards in Castellina and Merlot from vineyards in Panzano. Supple and racy, the 2018 offers tremendous appeal from the very first taste. Ripe black cherry, mint, spice, espresso, and blood orange open with a bit of time in the glass. This open-knit, sensual Tuscan red offers quite a bit of appeal. Drink 2021-2033.”
What the Winery Says
2018 'Valetta' Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
- Enologist
- Cesare Panti
- Proprietor
- Thomas Baer
- Vintage
- 2018
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Varietals
- 50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot
- Communes
- Castellina (Sangiovese) & Panzano (Merlot)
- Soils
- Galestro & Alberese loam
- Altitude
- 450-480 meters above sea level
- Exposure
- South to southwest
- Vineyard age
- 30+-years-old
- Aging
- 14 months
- Barrels
- 50% new French oak