2022 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Campitello

This is a superb set of new releases from Michele and Alessandra Braganti at Monteraponi. “Two-thousand twenty-three is by far the most challenging vintage I have seen since we started making wine,” Michele Braganti commented. “Disease pressure was so high. The parcel we use for our Riserva was completely decimated. We lost about 50% of our production.” These remain some of the most transparent and expressive wines readers will come across in all of Chianti Classico. Reds are fermented in cement with ambient yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is also done in cement. The wines are racked into cask before the end of the year, where they age until bottling. The new Bragantino Gran Selezione, first made in 2019, continues to improve in quality. Monteraponi’s Trebbiano also deserves a mention, as it is one of the most unique and compelling whites in all of Italy, especially with a bit of bottle age.