The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto San Marcellino is potent, but also shockingly closed for this dry, warm year.. readers will have to be patient with the 2017 as it needs quite a bit of time to be at its best. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, cloves and licorice all build into the huge, explosive finish. There's tremendous substance here, not to mention tons of sheer character.

This opulent Chianti Classico is highlighted by blackberry, black currant and tar, with toasty oak accents. Starts out smooth, then the dense tannins emerge. Remains long and intense on the aftertaste, which is marked by the dark fruit and iron. Sangiovese and Pugnitello. Drink now through 2030. 1,250 cases made, 500 cases imported.

Ripe and assertive, the 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Marcellino is rich with aromas of licorice, balsamic, and black cherry liqueur. It is full-bodied, with ripe plummy fruit, and it is rounded through the mid-palate. A meaty red, with a rich and ripe structure, it pours a rich ruby to garnet and displays a robust style that speaks to the warmth of the vintage. Drink 2024-2039.