Monteraponi - Rosso Baron Ugo 2018 (750ml)
Price: $104.99
| Producer | Monteraponi |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Varietal | Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | 69285 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Monteraponi Description
Monteraponi walks a fine line between classic and creative, authentic and artistic, conventional and at once disruptive. Michele Braganti and his partner Alessandra Deiana are without a doubt two of the most beloved and boisterous characters in Tuscan wine, who light up any table in town with their profound love of fine wine and undeniable charisma. A man of distinct allure, Braganti crafts pedigreed wines from the rugged hillside vineyards in Radda. In its current incarnation, Monteraponi is a fairly young estate considering the centuries-old region of Chianti Classico. Delicate deviations from timeless Tuscan tradition such as the distinctly savory and textured Trebbiano prove the capabilities and intuition of this estate, whose well-traveled guardians are seeking a spot not only amongst storied neighbors but also on the global stage.
90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo, 3% Colorino. Baron' Ugo is made from a 40-year-old vineyard planted in 100% alberese based soil at 560 m above sea level (among the highest altitude vineyard in all of Chianti Classico). The wine is bottled without being fined or filtered.
The first vintage of Baron'Ugo was 2006 but the wine's history as a single vineyard bottling goes back to 1974. The vineyard is named after Monteraponi's original 10th century property owner, Baron Ugo Marchese. In 2012, which was a very particular vintage, the color of the wine was very light and alcohol was only 12.5%. As a result, the consortium did not grant it Chianti Classico Riserva status. Since then Michele has labeled it an IGT Toscano Rosso and not applied for a higher designation. The winemaking has stayed the same since the first vintage.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
Monteraponi follows a Burgundy-adjacent farming philosophy that seeks to carve out distinct identities for strong red and white wines. The top-shelf red from the estate is the organic 2018 Baron'Ugo, a blend of 90% Sangiovese with smaller parts Canaiolo and Colorino for more color and vibrant fruit flavors. This vintage delivers a very clean and polished execution, and there is plenty of freshness, thanks to vineyard positioning at a cool and breezy 560 meters in elevation on limestone alberese soils. The oak is woven in a delicate manner in this wine. Production is 6,600 bottles. This is a little treasure from Tuscany.
Vinous: 94 Points
The 2018 Baron'Ugo is super-impressive. Rich and yet nuanced, Baron' Ugo captures a striking expression of the estate. Dollops of Canaiolo and Colorino add nuance to the Sangiovese. Those complementary varieties work so well in making Baron'Ugo the most distinctive and evocative wine in this range from Monteraponi.
