2020 Castello di Bossi Berardo Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscany 750 ml

“This will compete with top Brunellos.” 

That’s what James Suckling said about the 2020 Castello di Bossi Berardo Chianti Classico Riserva, backing his words up with a 97-point score that puts this wine alongside bottles like Castello di Ama’s Vigneto La Casuccia Gran Selezione, which goes for over $200. 

We’ve been fans of Berardo ever since the first time we tasted it in Castello di Bossi’s stone-walled cellar. We were floored by the wine’s exquisite expression of power and elegance. 

This stunning cuvée is drawn from a magnificent property set on the southernmost edge of Chianti Classico, where the sprawling estate spans several hundred acres bracketed by evergreens. Berardo’s high-altitude vineyard is known for its particularly low yields, averaging just 1.6 tons of fruit per acre. Those meager hauls, together with a warm microclimate, lend this wine a rounded, voluptuous elegance.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Antonini, Bossi’s consulting winemaker, in Napa last year for a fascinating discussion about his philosophy and “less is more” approach. Antonini is the kind of guy who just wants to get out of the way: He optimizes organic farming to produce pristine fruit, uses whole clusters for freshness and lift, and endeavors not to screw the wine up with overextraction or too much oak. 

Antonini told us his only goal is to make a wine you want to drink more and more of, like a scrumptious bowl of pasta you can’t help but devour, and that’s exactly what you’ll find right here. It’s a refined bottle that belongs with the best of the Chianti Classico region.