Decanter, which twice rated this outstanding, explains it well:
Crognolo was the first wine to be produced at Sette Ponti back in the late 1990s; a blend of 90% Sangiovese – a clone from an old vineyard planted in the 1930s – and 10% Merlot to round out the wine. Vinified in stainless steel, the wine then spends 14 months in barriques, partly used. Dusty, perfumed aromas of spiced plum with sour and dried cherry are followed in the mouth by a vertical palate full of fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity and sapid fruit. It feels poised and coiled, ready to leap into action as soon as the cork is pulled. Vibrant red and black fruits mingle, cut by some salinity and supported by those tannins. The finish is long, sapid and moreish, leaving you wanting another sip.
Suckling 95 – best ever:
The purity of fruit is impressive in this wine with currants, orange peel, peaches and lemon in the nose and on the palate. Full-bodied yet compressed and agile. Flavorful finish. Reserved now, but if you give it a year or two it will really deliver. Drink after 2026.
And for the Wine Enthusiast at $46:
Ultra-fresh juicy cherries with more delicate aromas of violets and rose petals on the nose roll onto a palate rich with more cherries and berries balanced by earthy, astringent notes of soil, branches and roots and a finish of bitter cocoa and anise.
Also for the Wine Independent:
The 2021 Crognolo, 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes barreling out of the glass with notes of cherry compote, plum preserves, and unsmoked cigars, leading to touches of bay leaves and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is packed with savory accents to the black fruit flavors, supported by chewy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing with great length.
