2020 Tenute Rossetti Poggio Civetta Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany

Tenute Rossetti is a Tuscan family producer with deep roots in the region, crafting wines that marry traditional Tuscan character with an immediately appealing style. Poggio Civetta Chianti Classico Riserva comes from the historic hills between Florence and Siena, where Sangiovese thrives among vineyards shaped by elevation, warm sunshine and the region’s distinctive galestro and alberese soils. The Riserva steps things up nicely, bringing greater depth and savoury complexity without losing Chianti’s wonderful energy at the table.

The 2020 vintage produced ripe, generous fruit, while the elevated vineyards of Chianti Classico helped retain freshness through the growing season. Extended maturation gives the wine time to soften Sangiovese’s naturally firm tannins and develop more complex earthy and spicy notes. There’s richness here, but the wine remains unmistakably Tuscan, driven by cherry, herbs and mouthwatering acidity rather than sheer weight.

Deep ruby moving towards garnet at the rim, the nose opens with Morello cherry, ripe plum and dried cranberry, followed by violet, oregano and orange peel. With air come tobacco leaf, leather, cedar and warm terracotta. The palate is generous and savoury, with ripe cherry fruit wrapped in fine, slightly dusty tannins. Dried herbs, balsamic notes and earthy spice build through the middle before a long finish of sour cherry, tobacco and bitter chocolate.

Give this a proper Tuscan workout: pappardelle with wild boar ragù, bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-roasted pork with fennel, porcini risotto or a bubbling tray of eggplant parmigiana. My pick is the wild boar — rich, gamey ragù, ribbons of pasta and plenty of Pecorino against mature Sangiovese is a very efficient way of cancelling the rest of the afternoon.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2033.