Bertinga

A single-block Merlot cru that shows just how special Gaiole in Chianti can be for the grape. Sourced from Bertinga’s famed Block 10, where north-facing exposure and low pH calcareous clay soils create near-perfect conditions for Merlot to thrive with both power and poise. There are only a handful of places in the world where Merlot reaches this level of complexity, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Bolgheri, and Bertinga firmly deserves its place in that conversation.

"Intense aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries and sweet tobacco with some sandalwood character. It’s full-bodied with layers of juicy, ripe fruit and chewy yet pleasant and attractive tannins. Pure merlot. This needs at least three years to soften. Try after 2023." -96pts, James Suckling