2023 Poggiotondo Terre di Cresci Chianti Classico Organic, Tuscany

From the hills around Cerreto Guidi, Poggiotondo is run by Alberto Antonini, one of Tuscany’s most respected winemakers, known for a cleaner, more site driven take on Sangiovese. Working organically across clay and limestone soils, Terre di Cresci shows Chianti Classico in a fresher, more lifted style that leans into drinkability without losing character.

The 2023 is bright and inviting from the first pour. Sour cherry, red plum and wild strawberry lead, with a lift of violet and a hint of dried herbs. There’s a savoury thread running underneath, a touch of spice, a little earth and that classic Sangiovese tang that keeps everything honest.

On the palate it’s medium bodied with a lively, mouthwatering acidity that gives the wine real energy. Tannins are fine and gently grippy, shaping the fruit without drying it out. Flavours move from fresh red fruit into more savoury territory, herbs, spice and a faint mineral edge, finishing clean and persistent.

Antonini’s winemaking is all about precision and restraint, careful extraction and minimal intervention, allowing the vineyard and vintage to show clearly.

This is made for food. Think pappardelle with slow cooked ragù, wood fired pizza with prosciutto and rocket, or grilled lamb with rosemary. It also works beautifully with dishes like eggplant parmigiana, tomato and basil pasta, or a simple lentil stew, where the wine’s acidity cuts through and lifts everything.

Drinking beautifully now for its freshness and energy, it will continue to evolve over the next five to eight years, gaining a little more savoury depth while holding its line.