2010 Tenuta di Burchino Il Burchino Toscana IGT 750 ml

2010 was a spectacular year in Chianti. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate pinned 96-points on the vintage overall. So, there’s no better time to seek out those over-achieving Super Tuscans—and thankfully, our friend Piergiorgio Castellani has something special for Wine Access clients. We met Castellani in NYC earlier this year, and as a result offered his Chianti Classico Riserva, which sold out in a matter of hours. Piergiorgio was overjoyed, and has graciously offered us this 2010 Tenuta di Burchino “Il Burchino”—a perfectly-aged estate-grown Super Tuscan that combines 50% Sangiovese, fleshed out with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 

Wine Enthusiast has contended that, under Piergiorgio’s guidance, Castellani is “jockeying for a position as one of the top producers of Italy.” With nearly 2,500 acres of vines under their care, wines bearing the Castellani name show off the diverse producing areas of Tuscany. Their Tenuta di Burchino is located in the tiny commune of Terricciola in the Pisan hills, where the property’s calcium- and fossil-rich soils are planted to 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller parcels of Merlot and traditional Tuscan varieties. 

Whereas most wines from this estate are dominated by Sangiovese, “Il Burchino” is Piergiorgio’s nod to a newer style of Tuscan winemaking: He has integrated significant portions of Cabernet and Merlot to the Sangiovese, and aged the wine in French oak barriques. This is the perfect time for an over-achieving Super Tuscan — a rich and ripe gem with a little bottle age, that will reward those who keep a case close at hand.