2016 Baracchi Ardito Toscana 750 ml

The blockbuster 2016 Baracchi Ardito—crafted by 100-point winemaker Stefano Chioccioli—is poised to be the greatest ever produced by the estate, which has been in Baracchi hands since 1860.

Today, Wine Access members have a chance at Baracchi’s golden goose. The muscular, formidable Ardito is the estate’s flagship blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the personal favorite of family patriarch Riccardo Baracchi.

In an attention-grabbing 95-point review, James Suckling called it “full-bodied with round, creamy tannins and a juicy, fruity finish,” and said, “love the focus and clarity in this wine. May be the best ever from here.”

In the pantheon of top Super Tuscans, the Ardito is a big-shouldered bruiser. It's scented with black truffle, forest floor, and leather and styled with plush Bordeaux elegance, featuring long, grippy tannins that make it a fantastic dining companion. You could fill an evening by matching this bottle up against the Big Four—Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia, Ornellaia—and teasing out all the differences.

What would make that exercise even more satisfying is the awesome value we were able to secure on the historic 2016 Ardito. Thanks to our ties to the Baracchi family, this benchmark bottling will hardly take a chunk out of your wallet. A bargain for one of the most celebrated bottles of the area.

Riccardo and his son Benedetto have been in the Super-Tuscan game since the beginning. They watched as Piero Antinori set the Italian wine market on fire with his Tignanello blend and decided to pursue a similar approach.

On each of their properties—the sandy soils of San Martino, the clay and chalk of Gabbiano, the mineral-rich Pietraia, and the classic limestone and clay of Montanare—Baracchi planted varieties that were best suited to each terroir, choosing only the warmest south- and southwest-facing hillsides for Bordeaux varieties. Within years, the estate was hitting full stride and pulling down rave reviews as other Super-Tuscan aspirants faded.

Baracchi’s winningest combination was the Syrah and Cabernet duo that took the name Ardito, meaning “daring” or “brave” in Italian. The careful matching of clone and soil, along with the high altitude and warm, bone-dry microclimate, meant the grapes were plump with sun-kissed concentration by harvest time, but still imprinted with fine acidity and plush tannins.