We had this (among other wines) on Saturday night at a local Italian BYO (973 in Florham Park) for my dad’s 70th birthday. I decanted it at home and found the nose was quite muted on opening the bottle – maybe just some hints of cedar and leather; no real fruit to speak of. The color was a muddy deep ruby, nearly opaque. After about an hour, I rebottled it and vacu-vinned it for the trip to the restaurant. Upon reopening, the nose was much more expressive, with the same cedar and leather now joined by dark plums and black cherry aromas. On the palate, it was medium-bodied but with a nice initial silkiness to it. The range of flavors echoed the nose with some slightly sour cherries and a touch of spice (nutmeg or cinnamon?) thrown in. On the finish, the tannins were a bit rough to my taste, although the flavors did linger nicely in the mouth. While this is currently a nice food wine with good acidity and fruit, I think it may improve with more time in the bottle. I have 2 more bottles in the cellar and I’ll wait another year or so before trying another one. Right now, 90 points. If the tannins soften a bit with further bottle age and the fruit stays strong, it could go a couple of points higher down the line.
Posts: 745 | Location: Ohio | Registered: Nov 13, 2001
Nice notes, I'll hold off on my 1997. I assume you've learned that Classico is a crass term that should not be used while assesssing wines by lads or lasses, even in passing, and I've passed this advice onto my dear friend Assumpta.
I know - I'm a Chianti Classicohole!
"Abandon all hope ye who enter here."
Posts: 1514 | Location: Boston MA | Registered: Mar 15, 2002
In expectation Sting decides, besides building houses on trees, to produce wine in his two renowned Chiantishires, Rancia is still my favourite Chianti Classico Riserva. I drank a bottle of 95 last November and I found it wonderful; rich and well-balanced nose: egriot and cherry in perfect balance with the subtle notes of liquorice, cedar, cinnamon and leather. Mouth of great pleasantness and concentrated, pulp and tannin tied together in a long spiced finish: 92 B.p. I uncorked two bottles of it, bought in another shop, a month ago and here's the great Baba delusion: smell and flavour completely vanished, the wine was dead. I don't know what's happened to these two bottles...anyway, the memory of the first bottle I drank last November is still alive and exciting and it will keep me company until the great day of 2007 when maybe we all will have the honour to taste THE GREATEST BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO OF THE WORLD: that of our premier Berlusconi...who when does something he does it well...nearly always...
..it's a black fly in your Chardonnay, isn't it ironic... don't you think?
Posts: 417 | Location: Enotria | Registered: Nov 08, 2002
Se no, per cominciare si compra Biondi-Santi, tutti i cugini Conterno, il Mascarello che non gli spara a vista, Giacosa, Quintarelli e già che c'è anche Dal Forno e Allegrini, San Guido, Ornellaia e Le Macchiole, Felsina e Fontodi, Mastroberardino, con il Maestro d'Abruzzo non ce la fa , Tasca d'Almerita e Duca di Salaparuta, e poi si lancia entusiasta nel libero mercato del vino che ri-regolamenterà prontamente con un nuovo decreto legislativo ad hoc, senza passare dal via, cioè, dal Parlamento. Come, cosa c'entra Monopoli? Mah, no, dicevo così per dire...
Posts: 2036 | Location: Italy | Registered: Jan 19, 2002
Phylloxera, the only information we poor mortals have is that the premier has bought a luxurious estate in D.O.C.G. Brunello di Montalcino area; the vintage 2002 has been effected and the wine will be available on the market in 2007...time will show.
Mass, è tutto vero! In effetti qualcuno aveva previsto che Cristo prima o poi sarebbe tornato fra di noi, ma con Bartolo troverà pane per i suoi denti...
..it's a black fly in your Chardonnay, isn't it ironic... don't you think?
Posts: 417 | Location: Enotria | Registered: Nov 08, 2002
