Collazzi
Collazzi – 2021
Region: ITALY - TUSCANY
Collazzi
Villa Collazzi is one of the most impressive estates in all of Tuscany. This architectural landmark was originally designed by Michelangelo in 1560 for his friend, Agostino Dini. It offers commanding views of the surrounding countryside. I Collazzi is a property of the Marchi brothers, Carlo and Bona. During the last decade the Marchi brothers invested heavily in the development of Collazzi’s farming business, renewing the vineyards and restructuring the cellar, with the goal of producing excellent wines. Collazzi produces grapes from this esteemed estate only; a super-Tuscan blend called Collazzi, Chianti Classico named Bastioni, and a select few additional bottlings.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Estate vineyards in the southwestern part of Impruneta (Florence, Tuscany IGT), near village of Galluzzo.
- Altitude: 590 ft.
- Exposure: South/West
- Soil: Clay and limestone, partly sandy, rich in fossils & minerals
- Average Vine Age: 25+ years
- Vine Training System: Spurred cordon
- Climate: Normally warmer and drier than surrounding area, lying partly in natural ampitheater. Abundant isolation and mild daytime temperatures allow prolonged, complete physiological ripening, remarkably consistent year to year.
Harvest Notes
- Each variety gently hand harvested into baskets to avoid breaking the skins, and vinified separately
- Careful bunch and berry selection on the sorting table
- Fermented in small stainless steel barrels for approximately 18 days at 77ºF/25ºC
- Malolactic fermentation in used French oak barriques
- Aged 18 months in new 225 liter French oak barrels
- Bottle aged minimum 6 months
Winemaker's Notes
Intense red. Spicy balsamic notes, accompanied by hints of ripe black fruit. Silky and persuasive, enveloping on the palate. It expresses roundness and elegance in the finish, revealing a perfectly balanced structure.
Wine Summary
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot; alcohol: 14%; estate vineyards near Galluzzo in Impruneta province (Florence); clay, limestone, partly sandy soils enriched in minerals; drier, warmer climate in natural ampitheater allows for longer ripening; each variety and plot hand harvested and vinified separately; rigorous manual bunch and berry sorting before pressing; fermented in small stainless steel barrels for about 18 days; malolactic fermentation in oak barriques; aged in new 225 liter French oak barrels for 18 months; bottle aged at least 6 months.
Technical Information
- 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25%, Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
- Alcohol: 14%
Reviews
95 Points
Bright and savory nose of ripe cherries, currants, and hints of black olives, graphite and licorice. Very fine and smooth with good volume and length. Structured and firm, with a medium to full body and lightly chewy tannins. Solid and well made. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Will come together nicely in the next two to three years. Try from 2027.
jamessuckling.com, July, 2024
92 Points
The 2021 Collazzi IGT bottling from Tenuta I Collazzi is made from a classic Bordeaux cépages of fifty percent cabernet sauvignon, twenty-five percent cabernet franc, twenty percent merlot and five percent petit verdot. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in cask, with fifty percent of the barrels new and then is aged a year and a half in oak prior to bottling. The 2021 vintage of Collazzi comes in at 14.5 percent octane and offers up a refined and complex bouquet of cassis, cigar ash, dark soil tones, tobacco leaf, a touch of fresh oregano, coffee grounds and a refined framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and nascently complex, with excellent mid-palate depth, firm tannins, fine balance and grip and a long, chewy and very promising finish. This is properly structured out of the blocks and will demand some extended cellaring time to blossom, but once it is ready to drink, it will be a fine bottle. 2037 – 2075
View From The Cellar, January, 2025
General Info
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Appellation(s) | Chianti Classico |
| Proprietors | Carlo and Bona Marchi (brothers) |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Winemaker | Alberto Torelli |
| Annual Production | 12,000 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Sustainable |