99pts Vinous

The 2021 Percarlo is every bit as stunning from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich and vivid in the glass, with striking complexity, the 2021 is a fine follow-up to the 2020. The 2021 is a bit tight relative to the 2020, but that is not a bad thing at all. If anything, I look forward to comparing these two monumental wines in a few years' time. For now, the 2021 impresses with its purity of Sangiovese fruit and mind-blowing balance. Hints of kirsch, blood orange and pomegranate linger on the vivid, exceptionally polished finish. What a wine.

99pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

This wine blew me away and remains one of my favorites in this report. The organic San Giusto a Rentennano 2021 Percarlo is all Sangiovese and represents excellent work by detail-minded vintner Luca Martini di Cigala. It shows delightful intensity and richness backed by chiseled fruit and lifted aromas of blackcurrant, spice, tar, earth and violet. There is power here, but the wine is also delicate. I love the determination of this vintage. Percarlo plays beautifully on the nose and over the palate with freshness, chalky tannins and lingering fruit.

97pts Wine Spectator

This red is fresh and evokes cherry, raspberry, iron, earth and tobacco flavors. There is an impression of finesse driven by the lively acidity despite the firm tannins. As this builds on the palate, the cherry and raspberry flavors emerge, delivering a pure expression of red fruit. Balanced and long but requires patience.

97pts James Suckling

This is a complex and deep wine, an old-fashioned sangiovese. There are multifaceted aromas of red cherries, dried cherries, raspberries, camphor, earth and elegant dried flowers. Full-bodied and velvety, with a weighty mid-palate and integrated but tense acidity. Meaty and savory flavors coat the tannins, with a long, precise aftertaste. From organically grown grapes. Almost drinkable now, but great potential for the long haul.

Tasting Notes

Spring and Summer time were somewhat on the dry side. April and May were marked by significantly low temperatures. June, July and the first half of August on the other hand, saw the temperatures rapidly increasing over the seasonal average. In September we had some moderate rainfalls with a good temperature range. Such favourable conditions have allowed a slow and regular ripening of the grapes. All in all, a vintage of great concentration, intensely fruited and apt for prolonged ageing.

This wine is ideal for pairing with roasted meats, braised lamb, or rich pasta dishes. While it is already a beautiful expression of Tuscany’s potential, its structure suggests it will evolve beautifully with time. San Giusto a Rentennano’s “Percarlo” 2021 captures the depth, power, and refinement that make Tuscany’s top-tier reds so exceptional.

About the Wine

Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, San Giusto a Rentennano’s 2021 “Percarlo” IGT Toscana is a remarkable expression of Sangiovese, crafted from the estate’s best vineyard plots. Known for its high-altitude, clay-limestone soils, the estate imparts an elegance and complexity to the wine, making it a standout in Tuscany’s competitive landscape.

About the Winery

San Giusto a Rentennano (a name of Etruscan origin) overlooks the upper Arbia River in the southernmost part of the Chianti Classico region. An ancient Cistercian monastery (hence its name, San Giusto alle Monache), later an indomitable fortress, it was marked, according to a 1204 treaty, as the border between the counties of Siena and Florence. Of the castle, the Guelph battlements of the surrounding wall , the massive barbican walls, and the underground cellars remain, still used today for aging wines in barrels. Owned by the Martini di Cigala family since 1914, it is now owned by siblings Anna, Lucia, Elisabetta, Francesco, Alessandro, and Luca.

Organic