When I was the national wine buyer for Bacchus Wines, one of my first additions to the portfolio was Villa Cafaggio. They’ve been producing excellent Chianti Classico since the 1960’s.  For a while there, you couldn’t take a wine 101 class without me pouring you some.  Their price to value ratio is on point.

The current vintage is 2013, and things are getting a bit confused. The quality is there (and possibly higher than ever) but they’ve expanded their offerings and changed their name from Villa Cafaggio to simply Cafaggio. Up until this point, they offered four wines: a Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Reserva, Cortacio (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), and San Martino (100% Sangiovese).

From the 2013 vintage onward, they have expanded their offerings under the Cafaggio label. Cortaccio is now Basilica del Cortaccio; Basilica del Pruneto is a new 100% Merlot bottling. There are now three Chianti Classico Reserva bottlings, including two single vineyard offerings: Basilica Solatìo, Basilica San Martino.

The classic Chianti Classico remains virtually unchanged, and that is a very good thing.  One minor grievance: the name change is causing some confusion in the marketplace. Here in Pennslyvania, the Wine & Spirits Stores have mislabeled the winery as Basilica Cafaggio, so it’s a bit hard to find online and in stores.

When writing the review of this exceptional wine, I realized every word I used started with a “C”, so here you go:

Cafaggio Chianti Classico has aromas of cherry and cinnamon, with a chewy palate of cardamon and cassis. The finish offers up classic varietal fingerprints and a note of Chamomile.

91 Points, Outstanding.

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