The latest vintages of perennial best-selling value Super Tuscans are now in stock and ready to impress anyone seeking outstanding bang for the buck. The 94-point 2021 Tolaini Al Passo and the 95-point 2021 Tolaini Valdisanti are emblematic of the unabashedly modern-style that makes them some of the sharpest case-buy contenders in Italian wine, year in and year out.
After 40 years of running a successful business in Canada, entrepreneur Pier Luigi Tolaini returned to his native Tuscany with the goal of producing top-quality wines from Sangiovese, purchasing 25 hectares in the hills of the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti in 1998. Undertaking massive replanting of the vines and rebalancing of the soils, Pier Luigi hired famed enologist Michel Rolland and Tuscan agronomist Andrea Paoletti to manage the vineyards and construct a state-of-the-art winery, releasing the first Al Passo in 2007 and expanding the estate to over 100 hectares over the next decade. The estate is now firing on all cylinders as the vineyards come to maturity, and Pier Luigi's vision is in full form. The 2021 Al Passo, based on Sangiovese, is "a very beautiful and expressive wine" per Galloni, while in the 50/50 blend Valdisanti, "Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc speak with a decidedly Tuscan accent in this vibrant, mid-weight offering."
Like previous vintages, the 2021s offer immediate enjoyment but certainly display the stuffing to cruise in the cellar for a decade, making a mixed case purchase (or a case of each!) an easy choice at our market-best pricing.
The 2021 Al Passo is a very beautiful and expressive wine. Dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, licorice and incense lend notable aromatic nuance. This Sangiovese/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend has a ton to offer. Bright acids pull it all together in style.
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jul 2024)
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