"A highly recommended discovery from Radda in Chianti"
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Producing "deep, soulful wines loaded with character" according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, these highly rated 2019 Caparsa selections from masterful winemaker Paolo Cianferoni are a must for Sangiovese fans and collectors of age worthy Italian red wines, bargain priced for mixing a case or two or selecting a favorite to enjoy over the next decade.
Boasting imposing defensive walls and medieval towers, the centuries old hilltop village of Radda in Chianti boasts a panoramic view overlooking a woven landscape of lush, low-lying forests and manicured vineyards in the middle of Chianti Classico, the cooler hilly terrain yielding wines of "extreme elegance" according to the Wine Enthusiast's Kerin O'Keefe. Working over 50 harvests at his family's Radda in Chianti estate since the age of seven, passionate winemaker Paolo Cianferoni is a pioneer in Chianti Classico since taking the reins in 1982, implementing a vineyard-driven approach to crafting his Sangiovese wines and among the first to employ organic viticulture in the region. Described by critic Galloni as "a truly a special place," Caparsa's organically certified vineyards span 12 hectares, planted with old vine Sangiovese averaging around 60 years of age in rugged galestro and albarese soils on a hillside around 450 meters above sea level, with most of the estate remaining forested to support biodiversity. Fermenting the hand selected fruit with indigenous yeasts in cement vats in the estate's centuries' old cellar and bottling without filtering or fining, the vibrant 93 pt. 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva Caparsino was aged in large oak barrels for around 15 months, "giving it a super-classic feel that is absolutely thrilling" according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, while noting the smaller production, single vineyard 95 pt. 2019 Doccio a Matteo Riserva boasts "a real sense of exoticness," aged in a mix of mostly smaller oak casks and cement for over two years before bottling to yield fresh, richly concentrated fruit balanced by fine integrated tannins. Naming it to honor his longtime partner Gianna whose nickname is Mimma, Paolo selected his best grapes for the 96 pt. 2019 Mimma Rosso IGT, aging it in large old casks with nearly 3 years longer in bottle and crafting a rich and uniquely elegant Sangiovese that Galloni describes as "aromatically beguiling and light on its feet."
From an excellent Chianti vintage producing fresh Sangiovese wines with "wonderful concentration and ripe tannins" according to Jeb Dunnuck, these alluring 2019 Caparsa selections are a reference point for Radda in Chianti while remaining one of the best kept secrets in Chianti Classico, three incredibly delicious and pure expressions of Sangiovese from one of the region's most undervalued producers promising a decade or more of enjoyment.
The 2019 Toscana Rosso Mimma is a selection of the estate's best Sangiovese. Soaring aromatics and bright acids lend palpable energy to the red Sangiovese fruit. Cedar, tobacco, incense and leather develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Silky, aromatically beguiling and light on its feet, Mimma shows a distinct and unique face of the estate.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jul 2022)
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