Borgo Scopeto Borgonero 2017

Borgo Scopeto is a super old, very well-respected producer in Chianti Classico. It is a true Borgo, a hamlet with its own church, post office, town center, and residences and it is owned by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini who also owns Caparzo and Altesino along with some others.

Of her “three headed monster”, it is Borgo Scopeto that is best suited to make Angelini’s only Super Tuscan in her arsenal, with a vineyard unlike any other in Tuscany with multiple variations of soil, rootstock, and Sangiovese clones that can give you a little of everything, especially under the right control. Luckily, for Borgo Scopeto– they couldn’t do much better.

The winemaker is Massimo Bracalente, the man solely responsible for the meteoric rise at Caparzo. One of the Robert Parker Jr.’s all-time favorites in Brunello, he’s the man that delivered you the 96-point, 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Caparzo offered last week. He’s stellar – a constant tinkerer who couldn’t be any more at home in Borgo Scopeto’s magical vineyard– the ultimate sandbox for a man whose curiosity has yet to peak.

Most years, Massimo’s Borgonero SuperTuscan is comprised of almost equal parts Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. But in the big, hot 2017 vintage, Bracalente went in a different direction– not needing the power of the Cabernet with the vintage being so ripe and expressive. Instead, Bracalente focused on the structure and balance while adding seductiveness and intrigue with the addition of only Syrah to his Sangiovese-dominant blend and unlocking the perfect balance between power and finesse in the process.