Tolaini - Vallenuova Chianti Classico 2021

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

The nose oscillates between savory aromas of hot tar and soil and sweet notes of vanilla and cherry. On the palate, an orange peel element adds texture to that sweetness, while bright acid and dusty tannins fan the flames of an enduring, spicy earthiness.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The Tolaini 2021 Chianti Classico Vallenuova is a simple wine with plenty of dark cherry fruit, soft lines and medium texture. Sangiovese is blended with a small 5% of Canaiolo, and the wine sees a quick 10 months in oak casks. With 19,600 bottles hitting the market this fall, Vallenuova would cozy up to an old-fashioned slice of meatloaf and gravy.

By the end of this year, Lia Tolaini and her family are set to complete an enlargement of both the fermentation and aging areas of their winery in Castelnuovo Berardenga. There are also a few new wines in the works, including the 2018 Perlui (a Toscana IGT wine) dedicated to Lia's father, Pier Luigi (

James Suckling

Fresh red- and blue-fruited character with violets, cocoa and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with super-polished, but velvety and mouth-filling tannins and vivid acidity, that adds tension and succulence to the fruit. Broad and textured. Long finish. Unfiltered. Drink or hold.