2021 Villa Albergotti Chianti Riserva DOCG, Tuscany

Villa Albergotti comes from the historic wine country around Arezzo in eastern Tuscany, an area with a long Sangiovese tradition but without the international profile of Chianti Classico. That makes wines such as this particularly appealing when value matters. The Riserva gives Sangiovese additional time to settle and develop, moving beyond straightforward cherry fruit towards the tobacco, spice and earthy complexity we want from mature Tuscan reds.

The 2021 vintage was an excellent one across Tuscany, with a warm, largely dry growing season producing Sangiovese with ripe fruit, healthy tannins and excellent natural acidity. There is more structure here than in the 2022 we looked at recently, making 2021 particularly well suited to the Riserva style. It has generosity, but the backbone remains unmistakably Sangiovese.

Deep ruby garnet, with Morello cherry, red plum and cranberry joined by violet and blood orange. Sage, rosemary and fennel seed emerge next, followed by tobacco, anise, leather and a little dusty earth. The palate is medium bodied and firmly structured, with ripe cherry carried by lively acidity and fine, slightly grainy tannins. Orange peel and savoury herbs provide lift before tobacco and earthy spice settle into the dry finish.

Pappardelle with duck and porcini ragù would be superb, alongside pork and fennel sausages with cannellini beans, veal cotoletta, eggplant parmigiana or rosemary grilled lamb with white beans. Our pick is the duck ragù, with plenty of porcini and pecorino over the top. Exactly the sort of food that makes Chianti Riserva disappear faster than anticipated.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2034.