Revisiting a favorite Costco find! The Basilica Cafaggio Single Estate Chianti Classico.
100% Sangiovese from vineyards in Panzano within the Chianti Classico zone in Tuscany, Italy. The wine is aged in Slavonian oak for 12 months.
We found this wine at Costco for just $9.89 but there are other sellers on wine-searcher, it's just that they have a much higher average price of $17. It is imported by Ethica Wines.
A deliciously concentrated example of Chianti Classico, this has dark ruby colour and rich notes of black cherry, fruitcake and plum on the palate. Serve this wine at room temperature. It makes a versatile partner for lots of savoury dishes, but do try it above all with meaty pasta dishes, roast game or poultry and mature cheeses. This wine has been released ready to drink, but it will evolve well over the next twenty four months, softening and mellowing with maturity. Store in a cool, dark and dry place. The grapes for this wine are 100% Sangiovese. This wine was aged in Slavonian oak casks for 12 months to add extra richness and body.
13.0% Alcohol
As we noted at the top, this is a wine we first discovered almost 10 years ago and at the time we dubbed it the best $10 Chianti Classico we had ever tasted.
Of course, finding Chianti Classico for that low of a price can be quite a challenge in and of itself! And that's simply because unlike the basic Chianti designation, Chianti Classico wines have more stringent requirements like a higher percentage of Sangiovese and more time in oak. (For more on this see our Guide to Chianti.)
The 2018 Basilica Cafaggio Chianti Classico begins with pleasant aromas of sour cherry, baking spice, a little leather and cranberry.
Tasting reveals lots of juicy, candied cherry and lovely spice notes with hints of vanilla and cinnamon on the palate of this dry, balanced wine. All these classic Chianti flavors are wrapped up in an extremely tasty, smooth and silky texture.
The wine ends dry and quite long with a good dose of spice followed by lingering juicy tart fruit. It holds up just fine on day 2. This one is tailor made for pizzas and pastas!
This vintage does need a good bit of time to fully open up so be patient and give it some time to breathe. When you do you are rewarded with a really delicious wine. Like we said last time, it might just be the best $10 Chianti Classico we've ever tasted!
2018 Basilica Cafaggio Single Estate Chianti Classico
You may also want to check out more of our favorite Chianti wines here!
