Tre Bicchieri 2023: Tuscany, amid dynamism and innovation
It's difficult to find a region in Italy where dynamism and innovation are so widespread. Tuscany has long been one of the country's classic regions, alongside Piedmont, dominating domestic and international markets, serving as a top destination for tourists, and a highly desirable place to live. Once again the region is at the top of our rankings, an achievement made possible by both traditional and emerging terroirs. Chianti Classico has redefined its style, and it's doing so with increasingly elegant wines that play on finesse, an identity bound up with the different terroirs, which are often proudly displayed on the label alongside additional geographical indications. The other Chiantis also follow suit, from Rufina (which inaugurated Terrelectae, equivalent to the great selections of the Classico production zone) to the Colli Fiorentini and so on. Montepulciano, with its parishes and its excellent wines, is no exception. Tuscany's other great noble wine, Montalcino, has never been in such great shape. Harvest after harvest we taste Brunellos of increasing elegance and definition, the result of extraordinary work carried out in the vineyard and careful research in the cellar which, after finally casting off the modernist hangover of twenty years ago, is focusing on linearity, complexity and finesse, qualities that never come at the expense of enjoyment and drinkability. Bolgheri continues to prove a dynamic, creative workshop, where even whites (see Ornellaia) are performing at high levels. But Tuscany is not only this, from Maremma to Pisano, from Val di Cornia to Lucca, from Val d'Orcia to the slopes of the Apennines, at every bend you'll find prestigious, passionately manicured vineyards.
Tuscany. A model of sustainable viticulture
In this respect, most producers are now committed to sustainability, managing vineyards according to organic or biodynamic principles of cultivation and implementing virtuous practices in the cellar as well. Wine tourism has resumed vigorously after the recent downturns, and so have investments, both nationally and abroad, confirming the increasing allure of Tuscany throughout the world. This year the region received two special awards.
Special Award: best Red Wine of the Year
Our Red of the Year goes to an extremely elegant Chianti Classico, the Petrignano '19 produced by Alejandro Bulgheroni's Dievole, a wine that literally enchanted us.
Special Award: Solidarity Project
Our Solidarity Award goes to Frescobaldi, who for years has been managing an extraordinary "re-education" project in which excellent wines are produced in collaboration with inmates from the Gorgona prison.
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