On the Road with the Grape Guy
Report from Anteprima Toscana 2026: Chianti Classico 2023 & Older
07 Aug 2026- Details
- Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(February 2026) ... Looking at the wines of the Anteprima Toscana 2026. This year I will break the wines down a little more, compartmentalizing them so they are easier to find on the website. In this, the second article I'm looking at the 2023 vintage and beyond. Though the emphasis is on the wines from 2023.
Here, once again, I tasted a handful of the wines to get a feeling on how the vintage was.
My "Personal Aside" is a note taken to encompass the whole of what I have tasted, and was written after tasting all the wines in a category and on the spot to get my unvarnished reaction.
Notes are on wines that are rated BETTER and above
Personal Aside: The 2023 have proven to have more depth and complexity than the 2024 - and there are some really great wines in this batch. Look for 24s for their juiciness, look at 23s for their complexity and depth.
BETTER-PLUS ...
Castello di Ama 2023 Ama - Chianti Classico
Lovely complexity, nice darker fruit with cassis and balsamic notes at the core. Gentle spices graze the palate. Great finish with a length that doesn't give up easily.
BETTER ...
Castello Monterinaldi 2023 Castello Monterinaldi - Chianti Classico
Nice acidity with lots of cherry, sour, sweet and even byng.
Isole e Olena 2023 Isole e Olena - Chianti Classico
This is a kick-ass Chianti Classico: balsamic, strawberry, blackberry, all rounded off by its nice finish.
Nittardi 2023 Belcanto - Chianti Classico
Well-balanced, good acid crunch, screamingly bright fruit, complexity and depth abound.
Poggio al Sole 2023 Poggio al Sole - Chianti Classico
Bright and full of acid punch, fruit shows up on the mid-palate and hangs around till the end. This is a pretty wine with notes of floral and fresh red fruits on the nose.
Tenuta di Nozzole 2023 Nozzole - Chianti Classico
Dark fruit, spicy - deep, dark and delicious.
GOOD-PLUS ...
Cafaggio 2023 Cafaggio - Chianti Classico
Castello di Radda 2023 Castello di Radda - Chianti Classico
Dievole 2023 Petrignano - Chianti Classico
Frescobaldi 2023 Tenuta Perano - Chianti Classico
Nittardi 2023 Vigna Doghessa - Chianti Classico
Querciabella 2023 Querciabella - Chianti Classico
Vallepicciola 2023 Vallepicciola - Chianti Classico
GOOD ...
Rocca di Montegrossi 2023 Rocca di Montegrossi - Chianti Classico
Tenuta degli Dei 2023 Forcole - Chianti Classico
SOME OLDER VINTAGES OF NOTE ... 
Castell'in Villa 2020 Castell'in Villa - Chianti Classico (GOOD+)
Fattoria di Lamole - Paolo Socci 2020 Fattoria di Lamole - Chianti Classico (GOOD+)
Vignamaggio 2022 Terre di Prenzano - Chianti Classico (GOOD+)
Next up: The Riservas of the 2023 Vintage
