Aged in amphorae, the 2016 Val d'Arno di Sopra Bòggina A is a pure expression of Sangiovese. The wine is beautifully ethereal, delicate and fragile, showing focused purity and intensity at the same time. In a nutshell, this wine embraces all the best characteristic of this iconic vintage, especially in terms of the crystalline authenticity of its varietal aromas. Luca Sanjust experimented with Spanish clay vessels and then went back to Tuscan terracotta amphorae made with clay from Impruneta (not far from Florence). This wine is light and luminous with mid-weight texture but a very long and silky finish. It is a true beauty. - ML

Bòggina is an 11-acre plot of sangiovese vines first planted in 1952. Sanjust began producing a pure sangiovese from the vineyard in 2006, and five years later began vinifying a small portion of the fruit in terra-cotta amphorae. Production of Bòggina A (A is for “amphora”) is now up to 5,000 bottles, about equal to Bòggina C (C for “classic,” also recommended here). Bòggina A macerates on the skins in sealed amphorae for about six months, and remains in the vessels for another six months after the skins have been removed, absorbing small amounts of oxygen without any wood influence. The result is a wine with exuberant scents of crushed rose petals and flavors of freshly squeezed red cherries woven together by brisk acidity, with a clarity of fruit that transcends the Bòggina C bottling. Tiny, pebbly tannins give a fine rasp to the flavors, and notes of sun-ripened tomatoes develop as the wine sits in the glass. It’s a fascinating and delicious wine for anyone who loves pure sangiovese.

This is elegant, offering cherry, plum, tobacco, leather and earth flavors, backed by lively acidity. Harmonious and long, echoing the leather and tobacco elements, with a hint of mineral. Sangiovese. Drink now through 2028. 250 cases made, 25 cases imported. — BS