Category	Red Wine
Varietal	Sangiovese
Region	Italy, Tuscany, Chianti Classico
Brand	Antinori

A dense, rich red highlighted by black cherry, blackberry and blueberry flavors, with flashes of vanilla and toasty oak underscored by mineral and wild herbs. Features fine balance and texture. A tannic structure emerges on the earth-tinged finish, suggesting this will need another 2-3 years before it hits its stride. One for the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2043.

The vineyards of Badia a Passignano surround an ancient monastery which has belonged to Benedictine monks since the 11th century. It’s just 3km south of Antinori’s Tignanello estate, from which the Sangiovese cuttings hail. Youthful, graceful and unencumbered by masses of oak, this expresses pretty floral, red cherry and cedar. Smooth yet tactile, the tannins are sleek and yielding, and succulent acidity contributes to the levity and clarity of this mid-weight, elegant Gran Selezione. Glossy red berries are infused with sage on the palate. Everything is in place - almost too perfectly. Micheala Morris, Decanter

Marchesi Antinori's 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano embraces a ripe fruit profile with sweet cherry and baked plum. Fruit at the Badia a Passignano estate matures very nicely, Marchesi Antinori General Manager Renzo Cotarella tells me. He describes the 2019 season as having abundant rain in the spring and then showing heat that lasted for a good part of the summer. This estate has a total of 56 hectares of vines, but this bottle is born from a selection from 20 hectares. The resulting annual production is 100,000 bottles. The wine offers sweet tannins, lots of dark cherry, spicy sensations, rich fruit weight and hints of salinity on the close.

Sourced from a single vineyard surrounding the abbey of Badia a Passignano, the 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Baddia A Passignano has an attractive, seamless perfume of wet stone, candied red cherry, rosemary, and pressed flowers. It floods the palate with pure red fruits, super-fine tannins, warming baking spices, and fresh salinity. This remarkable and gorgeous wine is deceptively easy-drinking now and will continue to improve over the coming 10-15 years.

Lots of violets and blue fruit, as well as black cherries on the nose. Full-bodied with slightly chewy tannins. Rich and layered. Yet, the tannins are long and intense.

The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is packed with inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather and incense. Opulent and flamboyant to the core, the 2019 speaks in a loud, brash voice. There's a ton of richness, but less in the way of finesse. After many years of tasting this wine, I have to conclude the Badia is never going to be a particularly refined Chianti Classico. It's just not in its DNA.