2020 Castello di Bossi Corbaia Toscana 750 ml

“In my estimation, Marco Bacci’s Castello di Bossi delivers one of the absolute best expressions of Chianti Classico from the Castelnuovo Berardenga,” Wine Advocate has declared, praising the estate’s soil composition as “what sets Castello di Bossi apart.” Bacci acquired the 14th-century estate in 1980, eventually hiring superstar enologist Alberto Antonini to run the show.

Most Italian-wine fans around here know how spectacular the Bossi Chiantis are. But we’ve never forgotten the stirring Corbaia. It’s drawn off the magnificent evergreen-bracketed Bossi estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga—and though the property itself sprawls over several hundred acres, just 18 of those are farmed to make the 1,250-case production of Corbaia.

As at Sassicaia and Solaia, everything that ends up in a bottle of Corbaia is meticulously planted and then tended. Exposure is a perfect south-southwest. The 1,400-foot-high hillsides are more reminiscent of Côte-Rôtie than most Tuscan slopes, their soils strewn with jagged chunks of limestone. The vineyard work is carried out entirely by hand, employing a spur-pruned cordon system. 

For years, the proprietors nursed the vines along and turned out solid wines, albeit blends that took a back seat to Tignanello. But Corbaia continued to reach new heights. Finally, in 2007, the Baccis put the wine world on notice, releasing a rich, exotic blend that brought Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate to its knees.

The 2020 is may well be the most brilliant blend ever drawn off these calcareous slopes. Deep ruby with a burnished garnet edge, it’s rich with aromas of black cherry, plum skin, and cassis, plus earthy undertones. On the palate, it’s both grounded and intense, with ripe red and black berries layered over firm, sculpted tannins, threaded with graphite, tobacco leaf, and savory notes. 

After fermentation in stainless steel, this crème-de-la-crème selection spent nearly two years in 225-liter French barrels, lending a kiss of polish and aiding integration. That was followed by another nine months in bottle. The result is a gorgeous Super Tuscan from an icon, not to mention a great value.