San Giusto a Rentennano Trebbiano-Malvasia Blend Vin Santo del Chianti 2007

Lovely notes of cut plum, cherry and strawberry are accented by spicy, floral, herbal nuances. This is fresh, intense, complex and lively, with a fine tension between the sweet red fruit and touch of vanilla. Intense and penetrating. Plenty of fruit here, black cherry and bright at that, with big, juicy acids all backed up by well judged oak notes. The liquory black fruit builds on the back end, before brightening on the big acid finish. This has lovely cut, good length and is tense like a drum skin, with nice dry extract of red fruit on the finale. 91pts

Pretty oaky on the nose, rubbery, leathery, though with lovely notes of coriander, plum and herb. Turns bretty fairly quickly though with underlying notes of incense, spicy wood, leather and coffee. There’s also a slight musty note which might be a touch of TCA but the poopy bretty covers it well. Soft, rich fruit on entry lends this a slightly sweet impression. With nice tannins and good acid this is a bit compact but fresh and sort of muscular, full of blackberry fruit and a touch of fungi. With air this turns a bit hard with tannins that are a little woody and stiff on the back end, and while there’s a nice bit of sweetness still here, there seems to be more structure than fruit. 88pts

Very mineral water and toasty oak-driven nose with a hint of prune, though with air this gains some freshness, showing curry and white floral complexity. Dense in the mouth and bright, but the red fruit flavors of are showing some oxidative edges. The tannins here are big and dry, chunky, clumsy and a bit hot even. There’s decent length with some sweetness but still so much caramel, toasty oak and a wall of wood tannins that may never really integrate. 87pts

This really powers out of the bottle with a nose that is dark and confected with subtle spice, wet rocks and green moss notes all draped against a backdrop of reduced cherries spread on glass to cool. With time some camphor and cigarbox join in. This is very fine in the mouth with crisp tannins supporting a fairly opulent midpalate. great acidity adds depth to the cherry/cherry pit fruit that remains razor sharp through the palate and into the finish. the lithe texture remains fresh with a feathered egde of austerity keeping this focused. Wonderful sangiovese. 2008-2020

Opening with blood, fruit and flowers on the slightly reticent nose, this turns more strawberry scented with herb and a touch of toast before tightening up over the course of the night, showing more leather and black cherry. Tight on entry, plenty of acid here and still a relatively heavy dose of wood tannin, but there is fine, fruit as well. Rusty and mineral on the back end with apple skin austerity and some leather. Rich and austere with fine wood, supported by sweetness of dried strawberry fruit on the finish and a hint of alcohol. With air this seems to lose fruit faster than structure. 88pts