Clove and savory nutmeg spices to the dried oranges and earthy berries. Linear and medium-weighted on the palate with a crunchy finish where you might find some dried citrus and savory berries. Drink now.
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There are few other wineries anywhere that have such an aura of vinicultural history as that of Badia a Coltibuono. In Europe, it is not too difficult to find wineries that have origins dating back one, two, three, even five centuries, but the edifice at Badia a Coltibuono has been watching over winemaking for almost a thousand years—and the building was constructed long after wine was first made on the property. Grapeseeds and amphorae from the first century A.D. Roman period—evidence of wine production—have been found at an archaeological dig on the property, and even earlier ruins from the wine-savvy Etruscan culture are present as well.
That is not to say that Badia a Coltibuono was designed specifically as a winery all those years ago. It was established as an abbey (badia) in 1051 by St. Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of the Vallumbrosan Order of Benedictine monks. Of course, wine production was an important element of monastical life, and the Vallumbrosans may have been the first to cultivate Sangiovese in Tuscany. The abbey’s name, Coltibuono, can be translated as “Good Cultivation” or “Good Harvest,” perhaps indicating the importance of viticulture there.
Today, the Badia a Coltibuono estate in the Chianti Classico commune of Gaiole in Chianti is led by the fifth generation of family members: Emanuela, Paolo, and Roberto Stucchi Prinetti. There are 150 acres of vineyards on the property, along with another 50 acres of olive trees. This being Chianti Classico, Sangiovese is naturally the most important grape variety planted. However, the family honors Chianti’s heritage by also keeping significant numbers of vines of other traditional varieties that are allowed but often omitted in Chianti Classico: Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia Tonda, Malvasia Nera, Mammolo, Pugnitello, and Sanforte (as well as Trebbiano and Malvasia for Vin Santo). From these building blocks, Badia a Coltibuono makes a robust range of wines from the traditional to the innovative.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany VINEYARD: Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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91
AUGUST 2023
Badia a Coltibuono “Sangioveto di Toscana” Toscana IGT Sangiovese 2018
![]() Clove and savory nutmeg spices to the dried oranges and earthy berries. Linear and medium-weighted on the palate with a crunchy finish where you might find some dried citrus and savory berries. Drink now. 92
FEBRUARY 2023
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico DOCG 2020
![]() From estate vineyards in southern reaches of Chianti Classico’s Vagliagli and Gaiole UGAs, Sangiovese is complemented by local varieties Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo and Colorino. Following the hot summer, these were harvested in the last two weeks of September. The bright ruby hue is matched by equally lively aromas of medicinal herbs and roots suffused with red summer berries. Wild cherry and mint repeat on the palate. midweight and elegant, it is effortlessly balanced with crunchy acidity, light chalky tannins and digestible alcohol. Not a long ager but joyful – and so Sangiovese. 90
SEPTEMBER 2022
Cultusboni “RS” Chianti Classico DOCG 2020
![]() Rich and vibrant, this red evokes black cherry, plum, earth, iron and spice flavors. Nicely balanced, with dense, integrated tannins lining the finish. Drink now through 2026. 6,700 cases made, 4,800 cases imported. 91
APRIL 2021
Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico DOCG 2018
![]() Best Buy! Roberto Stucchi Prinetti makes this wine with fruit from the estate's vineyards in Gaiole and Castenuova Berardenga, fermenting on naive yeast and aging the wine in a mix of French and Austrian oak casks. It opens with fresh scents of roses and violets evocative of the moderators 2018 growing season. Those appealing aromas lead into flavors of juicy red cherry and raspberry brightened by notes of orange zest. It's an excellent value and a mouthwatering wine for the dinner table. 95
APRIL 2021
Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC Occhio di Pernice 2007
![]() Driven by honey and molasses, the Badia a Coltibuono 2007 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice is a pure beauty. Made with organic fruit, this dessert wine opens to a dark copper color and beautifully intense aromas of dried fruit, fig, honey, brown sugar and maple syrup. There is a vein of heat and warmth there that underlines the sweetness and the ripeness of the fruit. 92
JULY 2022
Cultusboni “RS” Chianti Classico DOCG 2020
![]() The 2020 Chianti Classico RS Cultusboni is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, cloves, scorched earth and licorice show the darker side of Sangiovese. There's good depth, even if at times the 2020 feels a bit heavy and monolithic. 92
OCTOBER 2023
Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC 2013
![]() A medium-weight dessert white, evoking caramel, almond paste, brown butter and orange peel flavors. Lively, ending with a lingering, caramel nuttiness. Trebbiano and Malvasia. Drink now through 2040. 91
OCTOBER 2023
Badia a Coltibuono “Montebello” Toscana IGT 2018
![]() A maturing red marked by plum, leather, sanguine and resinous oak notes, with woodsy, mushroom accents that are beginning to emerge. Well-integrated and long. Sangiovese, Mammolo, Ciliegiolo, Pugnitello, Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Canaiolo and Foglia Tonda. |