Corzano e Paterno I Tre Borri 2020

Named after the three small rivers that converge on the property, I Tre Borri is the most profound and generous arrow in Corzano’s quiver. It is pure Sangiovese sourced from three parcels of the estate’s oldest vines, planted by Wendel Gelpke in the 1970s, cropped at levels that deliver enough fruit for one bottle per vine. As of 2015, Corzano has declassified this bottling from Chianti Riserva to Toscana Rosso. Aljoscha Goldschmidt felt that the image of the Riserva DOCG was in a tailspin, and for this bottling—crafted from the cream of Corzano’s Sangiovese—he preferred the IGT Toscana Rosso badge to convey the quality and philosophy behind this label.

With minimal pushdowns, the wine can spend up to a month on skins before being pressed off to 25-hectolitre large-format oak and used tonneaux for just under two years. And while it is the only Corzano red that sees some new barrels (sourced from a very fine Burgundy cooperage), the oak is always deftly integrated within the layers of ripe fruit and textured fullness that are the hallmarks of this wine.

From a warm year, this is gorgeous: spicy, complex aromas and then a sleek and fresh palate with an intensity that almost fastens itself to your tongue—plus stacks of potential lurking beneath its elegant façade. Ripe cherry and tobacco, dried herbs, spices and iron-filing characters give the textured palate enormous nuance and complexity. The finish is long and mouth-watering, with sour-plum Sangiovese acidity and fully ripe, fine tannins driving to a lingering close. Although it is beautifully balanced today, this will surely age well.