Ipsus Chianti Classico Caggio Gran Selezione 2019 (750ml) *
Product price
$354.99
Description
Gran Selezione sits at the top of the Chianti Classico hierarchy, and Ipsus is the Sangiovese the Mazzei family of Castello di Fonterutoli built to explore what that designation can mean. The Caggio bottling from the 2019 vintage is a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the heart of Tuscany, shaped by a project (Il Caggio) whose stated aim is purity of fruit. Some of the wine spent time in clay and ceramic vessels before finishing in tonneaux and larger botte, and the fermentation leans on gentle submerged-cap handling rather than harder extraction, which shows in the wine's lightness.
The aromatics open on red berries and sweet cherry with a herbal top note, a lick of wood spice, and hints of rose petal, mint and graphite. On the palate it is etched and linear, concentrated but light on its feet, with firm, fine-grained tannins framed by crisp acidity and a long finish. Expect a distinctive, slightly exotic take on Sangiovese, one built around fruit clarity and definition rather than weight. It drinks well now and should reward a few years in the cellar.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Subregion | Chianti Classico |
| Varietal | Sangiovese |
| Producer | Caggio |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
The masterclass was the first time I tasted the 2019 – and it was worth the wait! Aromas of red berries with a herbal top note and a touch of wood spice introduce a palate with lots of fruit concentration and a long finish. The tannins are firm but fine, balanced with crisp acidity. This wine is all about the purity of fruit – a stated goal of the Il Caggio team. It will improve over the next three to five years: drink from 2027 over the subsequent 10 years. (Decanter, February 2024)
I have closely followed this wine since its first edition in 2015, and although the brand continues to expand on what is so far a limited track record, this is the best edition made thus far. A special project put forth by the Mazzei family of Castello di Fonterutoli, the Caggio 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ipsus is a very etched and linear wine with an extreme sense of minimality and definition that I find irresistible. Notes of graphite and pencil shaving are followed by wild fruit, blue flower and melting tannins. The wine is light on its feet. The 2019 vintage set the stage for spot-on phenolic ripening with bright primary fruit that was submitted to some time in clay vessels followed by tonneaux and botte. In terms of fermentation, the team is moving away from punch-downs to embrace more delicate submerged cap instead. The 2019 vintage is slightly more concentrated compared to 2018, with a darker quality of fruit. Some 4,500 bottles were made. (Wine Advocate, September 2023)
The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ipsus is a very pretty wine. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, mint, spice, rose petal, cinnamon and chinato-like herbs all grace this exotic, quirky Sangiovese. Readers should expect a distinctive and unique take on Sangiovese. About 15% of the wine was aged in ceramic rather than oak. (Vinous, August 2023)