Vallino 2019

We love finding wines with a brilliant “next door” story, but this one might top them all…

Even better, it arrives with a long list of acclaim, including four 90+ point scores.

Vallino is the pride and joy of the Nuti family, who bought their first plot of land, La Regola, back in 1900. Four generations later, they’re still going strong, winning huge acclaim and proving they can hold their own in a category packed with very big contenders. Le Regola lies just up the hill from the vineyards of Tenuta San Guido—home of legendary Sassicaia—the wine that launched the Super Tuscan style and propelled it to worldwide stardom.

All that fame usually comes with a hefty price tag, though. Sassicaia 2019 sells for $300 a bottle, which is one of the many reasons why Vallino is such a phenomenal buy.

Crafted from organically grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes and patiently barrel aged, Vallino is drinking beautifully now and will continue to develop. Past vintages have won serious acclaim and this 2019 release continues the tradition, beginning with 92 points from critic James Suckling: “Aromas of fresh blackberries, cherries...medium- to full-bodied palate, full of savory cocoa powder and blackberries. Resolved tannins give a tight yet caressing feel.”

Wine Enthusiast was also impressed, scoring it 90 points: “An inviting nose of vanilla and blueberries opens onto a very berry palate, with more blueberries and also blackberries and figs, closing with notes of salted dark chocolate and coffee and contoured by sturdy tannins.”

Then there's the 90 points from Falstaff, 91 points from Guida Veronelli, a “4 Grappoli” rating from Bibenda and a “4 viti” rating in Vitae (the official wine guide of the Italian Sommelier Association).

Incredible drinking pleasure—at a fraction of the cost of its famous neighbors.

You simply won't find a smarter buy in all of Tuscany.