Sophie Ginervra Conte took over the family estate, Tregole, with the 2015 vintage and has been refining the wines ever since. Her father had planted Merlot, but she decided the wines are better without it, so it is no longer included in the blend. She believes the 2022s are her best ever. This one, and the 2022 Riserva, are both terrific, so I have no reason to disagree. The annata leads with enveloping aromatics and follows with a dark cherry profile offset beautifully by a firm minerality. Structured, without being hard, the lovely firmness balances its succulence. Fine tannins, which she attributes to her using whole berry-fermentation for the first time, adds elegance. Lovely now with hearty fare, its balance suggests a great evolution with a decade of bottle age.
94 Michael Apstein
Sophie's entry level Chianti Classico is excellent value - stock up on this for your winter weeknight dinners. With vineyards at some of the highest altitudes in the region, the 100% Sangiovese grapes bring a refreshing acidity that you don’t often get from other Chianti producers baking in the heat of lower slopes during the Tuscan summer. With the wine aged in cement for 12 months after fermentation, the fruit really shines in the glass, with raspberries and plums prominent. You’ll also find mint, white pepper and liquorice, and as it opens up in the glass, there are already hints of tobacco and coffee. Drinking so well now, and will hold together well for the rest of the 2020s. This wine is a great way to test the Tregole style before investing in Sophie’s single vineyard Riserva or Gran Selezione.