Mission Codename Renaissance in essence
How’s $50 for a 95-pointer iconic Cab-driven Super Tuscan that stands tall next to other wines ending in “-aia”?! From perhaps the best vintage ever, 2016.
Great value you say?
Now try it at $29? Sorry, that’s the best we could do. Oh wait. That’s THE best price in the world?? Again. Par for the course around here.
A winery built by Michelangelo and owned by Frescobaldi! Serious pedigree, at a giveaway price. Yea, we stole this one. What can we say, you reap the benefits? Make room in your stash – who knows when a deal this HOT will hit again.
Wine Spectator recently raved “Frescobaldi has a personal winery called Collazzi, with 40-acres of vineyards around Florence and in Chianti Classico. The wines are mostly made from Bordeaux varieties and labeled as IGTs… While Frescobaldi is adamant about keeping it separate from the family business, it serves as an important reference point. ‘Collazzi has helped me to think smaller and try to understand every little bit and piece. And this is what we are trying to do with all the estates we have. Because quality is details, it’s nothing more than details,’ Frescobaldi explains.”
The devil IS in the details, and this impeccable estate has accomplished an impeccable Super-Tuscan as expected here. There’s surely a send to the best of Bordeaux with the finesse and the balance, yet the distinctly Italian aromatics and flavor profile are absolutely present too. Candied dark cherries dance with blackberries enlaced with mineral accents. There’s a massive burst of a wild berry basket at first that melds into a gamey, charcoal-y finish that just does not want to quit. Simply sublime!
As echoed by Antonio Galloni’s Vinous there is no doubt that “This is a gorgeous set of wines from Collazzi, the Frescobaldi family’s estate in Impruneta. The entry-level wines offer fine value, while the higher-end wines show the potential of international varieties at the estate.”
That ‘potential’ is realized BIG TIME in the perfect 2016 vintage folks, get in now or regret it later. Move quick though - we hardly got enough for an offer and the inventory is already moving fast and running low.
95 Points – James Suckling
“Flowers and citrus fruit with currants and cherries on the nose, following through to a full body, yet very tight and precise with compact tannins and fresh, energetic finish. Tasty. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Drink after 2021.”
93 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
“The 2016 Collazzi is bold, juicy, and super-expressive. Black cherry, leather, smoke, grilled herbs, iron, menthol, licorice, and mocha are all laced together in a very pretty, expressive wine with tons of character and personality. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot works nicely. Drink 2021-2031.”
What the Winery Says
2016 'Collazzi' Toscana IGT Cabernet Blend
- Winemaker
- Alberto Torelli
- Proprietors
- Bona Marchi Frescobaldi, Carlo & Grazia Marchi
- Vintage
- 2016
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Varietals
- 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
- Commune
- Chianti Classico, Tuscany
- Vineyard size
- 14.82 acres
- Soils
- Sandy, clay, rich in limestone with abundant rocks
- Elevation
- 590 ft. above sea level
- Density
- 2,477 vines/acre
- Yields
- 1.7 tons/acre
- Exposure
- South/West
- Vine age
- Planted in 1996
- Total acidity
- 5.5 g/L
- pH
- 3.4
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 60% new French oak