2014 Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei Toscana 750 ml

We went nuts for this wine after sampling it at a trattoria in Florence, and when the scores came out, it was clear that critics had the same reaction.

 “A beautifully soft and balanced red,” opined James Suckling, declaring it a “rich and gorgeous wine.” Antonio Galloni of Vinous was similarly floored, deeming the 2014 “fabulous” and “one of the best recent vintages of this wine I can remember tasting.” 

This ruby gem is just coming into its prime after seven years in bottle, and if you decide to hold onto it for another seven years it’s still bound to be one of the most complex, well-rounded Tuscan reds in your cellar

Famed fashion designer Roberto Cavalli purchased the Tenuta degli Dei estate in the early 1970s, and though the small vineyard the property came with was in complete disrepair, Roberto’s son Tommaso set about replanting it in 2000.

Roberto may not have known it, but he had stumbled across a genuine viticultural goldmine. The estate is located in the heart of Tuscany’s iconic Conca d’Oro (or “golden basin”)—an amphitheater-like cradle seemingly custom-made for grape growing, blessed with an ideal microclimate, high-altitude vineyards, and a south-facing orientation.

Even better was the soil, which Tommaso only realized after commissioning a study of the terroir. The nutrient-rich, well-drained, crumbly clay-schist soil known as galestro was an excellent fit for Bordeaux varieties, yielding wines with marvelous structure and depth, along with a lively mineral streak.

This is the Super Tuscan expression we crave, and with a double 95-point rating and an eminently reasonable price tag, you shouldn’t have to think twice about snapping it up.