2022 Pietramaggio Chianti Classico

Pietramaggio comes from the Grignano estate in Chianti Rufina — land that once belonged to Catherine de Medici in the 15th century. Today the Inghirami family, one of Italy's preeminent names in textile and fashion, farms 54 hectares of certified-organic vineyards while storing decades of aging wine alongside their antique textile collections in the historic cellars below.

Chianti Classico is Tuscany's everyday red — or it's supposed to be. Most bottles have crept north of $30. This one stays honest: pure Sangiovese from organic vineyards, made the right way, priced the old way.

Winemaker Tommaso Inghirami blends tradition with modernity: fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures, followed by malolactic fermentation and 12 months of aging in oak barrels. The 2022 vintage got off to a strong start with good winter and spring rain, then turned warm and dry through mid-August. The result is a juicy, spiced-cherry-and-plum wine rounded by creamy tannins — Sangiovese that delivers Chianti Classico character without the $35-plus price tag.

This is what Chianti Classico is supposed to be: the red you reach for Tuesday through Sunday.