Fresh and crunchy with orange peel, cherries, raspberries and hints of raw meat. It's medium-bodied with medium-round tannins and a succulent finish. Polished and creamy. Lightly chewy and crisp at the end. Drink or hold.

The Barone Ricasoli 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Gaiole Colledila opens to dark fruit, but perhaps more significantly, you get a slate-like mineral note that adds focus. That mineral note appears in all these beautiful Gran Selezione wines from vintner Francesco Ricasoli, but in the case of this bottle, it adds a dark or slightly brooding personality. The finish is absolutely savory and salty.

Packed with cherry, raspberry and pomegranate flavors, this red is also succulent and verging on racy in profile, with a deep vein of mineral and peppery spice notes that intensify on the extended finish. Shows superb balance and grace, with the best yet to come. <br> #50 Top 100 Wines of 2024