Grato Grati ‘Vecchia Annata’ Rosso Toscana 1999

Despite the label, you can consider this bottle to be a Chianti Rufina Reserva DOCG – Chianti’s most northerly subzone – and the area renowned for making the region’s most long lived wines. Sat in the foothills of the Apennine mountains, vines here benefit from warm sunny days followed by cool nights. The huge changes in temperature results in wines with intense aromas and plenty of fresh acidity – and it’s this acidity that gives them their lengthy ageing potential. Due to a change in production rules in the 1980s, the prestigious Grato family can’t label this bottling a Chianti Rufina. They keep back some of their best cuvées, ageing them for longer than the DOCG panel allows. It means they become what’s known as a declassified wine, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this is anything less than a first-rate Tuscan red. Predominantly Sangiovese, the blend spent 30 months in oak barrels, followed by further ageing in tank and bottle before release. Discover intense notes of ripe black cherry and forest floor, with hints of cinnamon spice and leather. It has a silky and savoury character with mellowed tannins, making it a delicious choice for roasted game.