Mission Codename Illustrious
Fall 2023 Super Tuscan in full effect now!
The 98 point kind, for a price that other wines envy.
That Erastos didn’t last long- just as expected. Good thing we are prepared with another sexy, in your face Tuscan that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
If you missed the first one, that 100% cab is long gone. Moving on- “Cletus” translating to “renowned” or “illustrious” as an excellent follow up. This one brags of mostly Sangiovese with a little Merlot to round out the palette and keep your taste buds watering. Best thing though…. I bet you already guessed… THE PRICE!
Sadly, this Wine Spies Exclusive is also highly limited. Sitting in the warehouse, at sub-$30, you can almost see the $100 Napa Cabs blushing with embarrassment. This delivers heavyweight intensity and complexity for a welterweight price. How they do it is an enigma to us, but we do have some ideas.
First, the genius consulting winemaker here, Andrea Bernardini, is the man of the hour. That partly explains the “greatness for less” part. A graduate of the highly regarded University of Pisa’s enology & viticulture program, he first helped put Poggio Bonelli on the Tuscan map before stints around the globe taking him to South Africa, Romania, and Greece. He returned to his Tuscan roots, to oversee Ruffino, La Bollina, and CorteMedicea! Known for his modern, forward style, he’s absolutely crushing it these days.
The wine itself is concentrated and gorgeous! Beautifully inviting aromas of blackberries, and plum jam lead into sexy spice and meaty undertones. Same lineage of the Erastos so that telltale savory, earthy, minerally trifecta is present. Again, perfectly balanced and complex. This is a crazy deal that we are thrilled to offer you. Not the flashy ‘-aia’ reds that cost 10x the humble price of $22 you see here and so much better value!
Again, wish we had more.
Grab ‘em by the case- smash that checkout button!
98 Points – Luca Maroni
What the Winery Says
2019 'Cletus' Toscana IGT
- Winemaker
- Andrea Bernardini
- Varietal
- 50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot
- Vintage
- 2019
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Appellation
- Toscana Rosso IGT, Italy
- Aging
- 6 months
- Barrels
- 100% neutral French oak