B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
"Excellent purity and ripeness ... I like the texture here on the palate with fresh, fine-grained tannins and a cooling finish." - James Suckling
Crafted by “one of the reference points in Montepulciano” according to Vinous critic Antonio Galloni, the 93-point 2020 Avignonesi Grifi is a top Super Tuscan value. A classic blend of 50/50 Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon offering fragrant dark fruit, wild herbs, and spices with dense, layered tannins on a fresh, lingering finish, it's bargain-priced to stock up and enjoy often over the next decade.
Now the largest biodynamic wine estate in Italy and the fifth largest in the world spanning 175 hectares, Avignonesi produced the terroir-expressive 2020 Grifi from vines located in the rolling hills near the medieval town of Montepulciano as well as a plot in nearby Cortona, the parcels planted in sedimentary soils of calcareous limestone, clay, and sand at altitudes ranging up to 375 meters elevation. Vinified with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats, the "intense and firmly built" 2020 Grifi was aged for 24 months in a mix of oak casks and barriques, yielding dark, lightly spiced fruit with "a layer of dense tannins guarding the finish," suggesting upwards of a decade of cellar potential.
Eric Guido of Vinous recently declared, “For a lesson on Montepulciano’s terroir, one needs to look no further than Avignonesi," and the 2020 Grifi is a prime example that reflects the estate’s meticulous attention to detail at an unbeatable sub-$20 price. |