Le Lucciole Riserva, Chiara Condello 2018

The 2018 Sangiovese Riserva Le Lucciole is spellbinding, as it keeps you coming back to the glass with a hauntingly perfumed bouquet that mixes violets and roses with black currants, plums and rich exotic spices. It’s deeply textural, almost velvety in feel, with ripe dark fruits and a saturation of salty minerals that creates a sultry expression. Brisk acids keep the energy amazingly high, even as fine-grained tannins and an intense concentration of primary fruits settle in, making for a structured and poised yet almost juicy finale. There is simply so much going on here, and while there is already pleasure to be found, the 2018 is geared for a long and steady evolution. Fans of Sangiovese take note, this is a gorgeous rendition of Le Lucciole!