~ The entrance to Fattoria Lornano in Monteriggioni ~
Fattoria Lornano is a tiny estate located west of Castellina in Chianti. Owned by the Pozzoli family since 1904, a pair of relatively recent events has put this Monteriggioni property on the path toward renaissance.
Beginning in 201o, the family began replanting their vineyards. Shortly thereafter, a new underground aging cellar and warehouse were completed. The guiding hand intertwined with all of it? Franco and Matteo Bernabei.
Fattoria Lornano is comprised of 180 hectares in total, 49 of which are vineyards positioned 300 meters above sea level. The estate also features a sizeable agriturismo and an enoteca. The Pizzoli family, led by brothers Nicolo and Galileo, have planted 15 different clones of Sangiovese on the estate. As a result, they are able to carefully blend their Sangiovese based wines to show the intricacies and subtleties that the grape can display.
~ Sunset over Monteriggioni ~
Last November, I reviewed the 2015 Classico and was very impressed. Given the retail price of approximately $15, this is a wine that could be a “Cellar Sentinel” if you enjoy it. Now, let’s talk about the “purple vinous elephant” in the room.
A contemporary of mine, Luca Maroni, a self described “sensory analyst” based in Rome, has once again bestowed a “97 point” rating on this wine. Why is that a problem? It’s not for me. I’m secure enough in my own palate to heed or ignore other writer’s advice accordingly. But not all of my readers are. Scores are one thing. Many people take them with a grain of salt. They’re a simple benchmark. They are one person’s subjective preference at a given moment in time. However, when the rating becomes part of the wine’s actual label, I pause for a moment.
To me, a wine rated “95 or higher” is a wine of exceptional quality. It possesses complex aromas and flavors, is delicious now, has the ability to age well and is one of the best wines of its type. I really enjoy Fattoria Lornano, but I can’t get there. This isn’t meant to be read as a criticism of Lornano. Far from it actually. It’s meant to let my readers know that I find Luca’s scores a bit inflated and that they should exercise some judgement in their buying. On to the wine.
The 2016 Lornano Chianti Classico is a brilliant shimmering violet color with a trace fade to copper at the edge of the bowl. Immediately upon opening, you are struck by flowers, crushed red berries, hints of toast and tobacco. On the palate, the wine shows excellent balance between acidity and tannins. The crushed red fruit flavors are fresh and juicy. Complexity is added by hints of fennel and chestnut. This is a really nice value relative to its peers. I remember when Felsina was this price – and Fontodi only slightly more – two additional Bernabei clients. I think the future is bright for this estate and I look forward to keeping abreast of them. 93 points. About $15. Find this wine.
~ The 2016 Lornano Chianti Classico is even better than its sibling 2015 ~
This wine appears to be widely available too which is always a plus. Try it and tell me what you think in the Comments section of this article.
Salute!
John, I cannot agree more with you about the 97 point score. I am learning to take these numbers with a big grain of salt, but it still gave me inflated expectations for the wine. Without that number I would have had a similar conclusion to yours – great quality to price ratio and a solid typical classico. However, I found myself just a touch disappointed.
Hey Evan, thanks for chiming in. I can understand your feelings completely. This is why I decided to use my review as a cautionary tale. One of the things I wanted to accomplish when I founded Tuscan Vines was to focus in greater depth on the style of wines, the places where they originate and the people that make them. Style is so important. A Chianti Classico or Gran Selezione could both be scored 95 points but the blends could be so different if one contains 20% Merlot and the other not. Scores alone cannot give that sort of information. They’re a snap shot – an easy reference. In your case, it led you to expect more. (and I’d have been in the same boat) but knew what I was getting into. At any rate, it’s still a pretty wine. Thanks again.
Sounds like a delicious wine, John! 2016 was such a terrific vintage for Tuscany. I’m making a note. Cheers!
Yeah Peter, I agree with you. Everyone is/was so focused on the 2015s being released that 2016 seemingly is the “forgotten vintage.” But I have to say, I’ve been disappointed by some 2015s. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember a 2016 letting me down. The vintage is so fresh and floral and those characteristics really make Sangiovese shine. Salute!
Same! Totally agreed!
Yep. Raph, people who miss 2016 will be sorry. Not my readers. ?
I think we should do some sort of Tuscan Vines Cellar Sentinel reader round up. Everybody nominates a wine (or 2 or 3) as Cellar Sentinels and we learn about what other people like and why and maybe discover a new wine (that was a really bad sentence, sorry).
My nomination is Rodano Chianti Classico, a wonderful wine usually about $17. It’s easily available, I’ve seen it at a gas station in Whitefish Montana. The wine is lovely, no rough edges, reflects Castellina well. Unusual estate, no hospitality element at all, it’s just a farm that makes good wine. The biggest problem for this wine is it’s low price and wide availability somehow make it feel less valuable. Highly recommend.
Sorry it that’s off topic but the Cellar Sentinel reference got me started.
Steve, let me marinate on this a bit. I might be able to swing something interesting. If nothing, it would make a good resource.
Of course John it’s your blog so I respect whatever you choose to do. It might be a fun way to create some engagement, learn about some new wines and see what folks like. Thanks for the blog as it’s my primary resource about Tuscan wines and I do enjoy it.
As always Steve I appreciate you chiming in and for your support! I think you might really enjoy the upcoming Zoom call on October 25th. It’ll feature some great wines that you can get in advance if you want, but also some exclusive coupon codes for my readers for some great deals. Plus, as you and I have discussed before, it will allow supporting a small winery in Italy via direct purchasing. Stay tuned.