Monte Bernardi "Retromarcia" Chianti Classico 2019

A vintage of great fruit and acidity so heavy stem usage and also because Michael Schmelzer learned from a minor mistake in 2017. That vintage had better acidity then anticipated and so more stem use should have been employed. "I love the vintage, though I like the classic vintages more, like ’16 and ’18.” Here the high tannin quality and that acidity is really about as good as it gets. “I want people to think I make great wines but then find out they happen to be natural. It’s not a goal.” Everything is in check and all the edginess is just right there, lift, animal, swarthiness and grip. "Anaerobic winemaking is to me a broken idea. We see this in wines that preserve oxidative character." And so this is a wine that will not fall apart as it ages. Here an Annata that will go well into ten-plus years. Drink 2022-2028. Tasted November 2021. - 93/100 Michael Godel, Wine Align