Notify me
2020 Chianti Classico
Villa Di GeggianoIf the walls of Villa di Geggiano could talk, they’d have some of the richest stories to tell of any estate we visit every year in France and Italy. They’d speak of the Bandinelli family’s arrival at the modest and original 14th-century farmhouse just north of Siena in 1527. They could share HGTV-worthy details of the property’s expansion, in 1768, into a magnificent villa, and gossip from the undoubtedly opulent parties held thereafter. They might reenact the works performed at the estate’s outdoor theater by Vittorio Alfieri, the 18th-century dramatist and poet considered to be the founder of Italian tragedy; or scenes from Stealing Beauty, the 1996 film shot at the Villa by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Liv Tyler and Jeremy Irons. They might divulge how Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, famed archaeologist, Communist, and grandfather of the current proprietors, Andrea and Alessandro, redistributed much of the estate’s land to its sharecroppers after the Second World War. Today, these walls would tell of the lavish weddings that take place at the Villa, helping the Bandinelli brothers cover the cost of maintaining this National Heritage site. But most importantly, they’d sing of the pure, hearty, and joyous reds made by our longest-running producers of Chianti Classico, Andrea and Alessandro. Using organic methods to honor and maximize their clay-rich soils surrounding the Villa and big barrels to age the wine, they’ve produced a beautiful rosso brimming with notes of black cherries, blood orange, and earth. Pour it alongside your favorite cut of meat, now or in twenty years.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 100% Sangiovese |
Appellation: | Chianti Classico |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Tuscany |
Producer: | Villa di Geggiano |
Winemaker: | Andrea & Alessandro Boscu Bianchi Bandinelli |
Vineyard: | 15-20 years |
Soil: | Clay, Silt, Sand, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine ages for eighteen months in 500-L French oak barrels (10% new), and then in bottle for another three months before release |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Rosso di Montalcino
Italy | Tuscany
The perfume of rose petals and vivid red berry fruit, along with the delicate, fine-grained tannin, make this a truly special Rosso.
2018 Toscana Rosso “Brendino”
Italy | Tuscany
By planting Pinot Nero in limestone at high elevation, he has found an unlikely home for the grape, yielding a singular rosso that is anything but international in style.
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva
Italy | Tuscany
Perennially Campriano’s bottling with the most irresistible, terroir-reminiscent notes of earth and undergrowth.
2022 Toscana Rosso “Monteleccio”
Italy | Tuscany
Biodynamically farmed, Brunello-quality grapes with the thrill of early and festive drinkability.
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva
Italy | Tuscany
Concentrated, youthful, and soulful, this Sangiovese is enchanting now, but it has a long life full of gorgeous evolution ahead.
2018 Brunello di Montalcino
Italy | Tuscany
Ample, deep, and succulent, this enthralling Brunello is already highly rewarding.
2022 Toscana Rosso “Bandinello”
Italy | Tuscany
Among the most perfect country wines we carry on our shelves.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
| Tuscany
We look forward to their oil every year for copious use with beans, pastas, ragùs, soups, and greens.
2018 Chianti Classico Riserva “Fondatore”
Italy | Tuscany
Always a standout, it is lithe, racy, and elegant, while not lacking the stony backbone for which great Greve is known.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
| Tuscany
Bright, intense green with hints of fennel and parsley, a Tuscan treasure
About The Producer
Villa di Geggiano
About The Region
Tuscany
Perhaps no region is tied to Italy’s reputation as a producer of fine wine as much as Tuscany. Since Etruscan times, viticulture has played a prominent role in this idyllic land of rolling hills, and the Tuscan winemaking tradition remains as strong as ever today. With a favorable Mediterranean climate, an undulating topography offering countless altitudes and expositions, and a wealth of poor, well-draining soils, conditions are ideal for crafting high-quality wines. Add to that the rich gastronomical tradition—Tuscany is home to some of the country’s finest game, pastas, salumi, and cheeses—and you have the blueprint for a world-class wine region.
This is Sangiovese territory; in fact, it is arguably the only place in the world where Sangiovese reaches a truly regal expression. In spite of a rocky history with fluctuations in quality, traditionally produced Chianti has reclaimed its status as one of the country’s most reliable, food-friendly reds, while the rapid rise of Brunello di Montalcino shows the grape’s potential for grandiose, opulent reds allying power and finesse. Traditionally-minded growers have stuck to using only indigenous grape varieties and employing techniques like aging in massive wooden casks known as botti, creating wines of terroir that shine at the Tuscan table.
Tuscan wines have had a place in our portfolio since Kermit’s first visit in 1977. While the names of the estates have changed, the spirit of those first unfiltered Chiantis he imported live on through our current selections.
More from Tuscany or Italy
2020 Toscana Rosso
Cuna Italy | Tuscany
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sesti | Tuscany
2018 Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2018 Toscana Rosso “Brendino”
Cuna Italy | Tuscany
2022 Toscana Rosso “Monteleccio”
Sesti Italy | Tuscany
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Castagnoli | Tuscany
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2017 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Phenomena”
Sesti Italy | Tuscany
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva “Fondatore”
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Ferretti Italy | Tuscany
2022 Toscana Rosso “Bandinello”
Villa di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany
2021 Rosso di Montalcino
J.G. Benda Italy | Tuscany
2020 Toscana Rosso
Cuna Italy | Tuscany
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sesti | Tuscany
2018 Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2018 Toscana Rosso “Brendino”
Cuna Italy | Tuscany
2022 Toscana Rosso “Monteleccio”
Sesti Italy | Tuscany
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Castagnoli | Tuscany
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2017 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Phenomena”
Sesti Italy | Tuscany
2019 Chianti Classico Riserva “Fondatore”
Podere Campriano Italy | Tuscany
2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Ferretti Italy | Tuscany
2022 Toscana Rosso “Bandinello”
Villa di Geggiano Italy | Tuscany
2021 Rosso di Montalcino
J.G. Benda Italy | Tuscany
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch