by Andrew Chalk
Chianti Classico continues to be one of the world’s eschewed wines, despite quality being higher than ever. This riserva is a case in point. The reserve offering from a winery owned by one of the most respected wine houses in Italy, in a vintage rated “outstanding” by His Bobness, sells for a bargain price relative to other types of red wine. I am not sure what gives, but I know the best way to help producers out of their quagmire and have fun doing it is to drink more of the wine.
In this bottle you will find a vibrantly ruby-colored red wine, opaque at the core and clear at the rim. A nose that gives what seems to be just a hint of what it can offer with red fruit of raspberries, earthy notes of forest floor, black pepper and thyme. In the mouth, sprightly acidity elevates a fruit and herbal savory core with grippy, but not harsh, tannins that will continue to evolve and resolve, so best to keep this wine for a bit before drinking. Form suggests that a decade is not too long.
Sample.
