Because you have purchased the Villa Trasqua Chianti, you get first dibs on my limited supply of its big sibling!

Villa Trasqua Chianti Classico Riserva 2015

Regularly $29.99
Buy six or more - $19.99 - save 33% and Best US Price by $5
All Else Sale $21.99

92 pts James Suckling / 92 pts Falstaff

Like its little sibling, the Trasqua Riserva is an incredible quality/value wine... For recap, I'll crib from the previous offer to explain why this is such a steal. If you just wanna scroll down to order, but want to know the difference, basically, this wine is richer and more full-bodied than the basic Chianti from Trasqua.

To start, the wine is brought in by our friends at MISA Imports. You may heard us talk at length about them regarding our French and Spanish offerings. They work on a ridiculously low markup, as does our distributor, trading off for large volume and fast pickup by us. So we can deliver incredible values to you!              

2015 is regarded as one of the five best vintages in the past 20 years by every major critic who publishes vintage charts: Wine Advocate, Vinous and Wine Spectator. So, naturally, we are expecting excellent value. Actually, scratch that… we “expected” excellent value. Past tense. Because virtually every 2015 Chianti Classico Rieserva is long gone. 2018s are being released now. But just because that is the current vintage doesn’t mean it is ready to drink! The realities of business force wineries to rush wines to market simply to slake the thirst of customers. Here, the owners are diversified in other businesses so they can release the wines at a more appropriate time.

Yeah, the owners are not the winemakers. Don’t freak out… it is more common than the reverse! And here, that makes for another factor in this wine’s outrageous quality. Legendary winemaker Franco Bernabei is the consulting winemaker. Bernabei is the man behind the launch of legendary wines such as Fontodi Flaccianello, Felsina Fontalloro and Selvapiana Bucerchiale.

Legendary winemaker playing around with a legendary vintage…. Should be good! (Understatement)

The wine is aged for 24 months in 5,000 liter barrels. That’s huge; so big they have a manhole entrance for the cellar “rats” to climb in for cleaning the barrels between vintages. Okay… so what? So many Riserva Chiantis are made using small oak barrels. The result can be an overwhelming influence, imparting strong oak flavors that dominates the Sangiovese grape. But with these large barrels, there is no oak influence on flavor, but the wine does evolve differently thanks to the micro effect of the wee bit of oxygen it comes in contact with through the barrel. The end result is a rich, long finish that highlights the grapes and the distinctive Chianti terroir.

And finally, Mr. Bernabei “cheats” (legally) by adding 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot to the 92% Sangiovese. In the old days, this would make it a “Super Tuscan”. But the laws were changed a long time ago to allow for such a thing, and Chianti has never been better for it! The two “Bordeaux” grapes add richness and structure to the wine, without obscuring the floral aromas and tart cherry fruit from the Sangiovese.

" A fresh and flavorful 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva with plums and red cherries. Chocolate and cedar undertones. Medium to full body. Round tannins. " JS

" The impact on the nose is sweet with elegant fruity notes of black cherry and canned berries (cassis and black mulberry), the enveloping aroma is amplified by spicy vanilla nuances, cloves and cinnamon. In the glass it opens up with hints of milk chocolate and roasted coffee. Its fruity palate is definitely of blackcurrant. The wine is dynamic and fresh with fine tannins that strengthen and lengthen the sip, without weighting down the structure. The finish is savoury and tasty with citrus and morello cherry on which spicy aromas of sweet liquorice are grafted." winery note


Or reply. The wine will be available Thursday in both stores. Supply is limited.