+MUST TRY+
Collezione di Paolo Chianti
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti, Rufina)
Sangiovese (red)
2009
$15.99
89 pts
This is a young (still a little green) but delicious Chianti, full of flavorful sour cherries on the initial attack and right through the mid-palette, before finishing with a hint of mushroom, some barnyard, and just a bite of chocolate for desert. The mouth feel is smooth and the tannins firm, and I get the sense that this wine will achieve even more depth over the next few years, with the earthiness stepping up as a full partner with the fresh red cherries (will be interesting to see if the chocolate becomes more pronounced, too). Having received a case from my brother-in-law today (what a wonderful gift!), I look forward to enjoying the Collezione di Paolo Chianti over the next two years as it matures. In the short run, think I'll decant it a bit before consumption. At sixteen bucks, this is a wonderful wine for pizza and pasta.
+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti Reserva (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
100% Sangiovese (red)
2004
$24.99
90 pts
Received this Reserva (12 months in French oak plus 4 months bottle aging) from Dana as an early Christmas gift in 2010--an awesome gift, considering how much I enjoy this winery's Chianti! Had not tried the Reserva, however, and could not wait until December 25th. So here I am in Sarasota on holiday on 22 December, drinking my gift. The color is reddish-brown. The aroma on this wine is awfully tight, tough to pin down, even after 45 minutes of breathing. I definitley get clear white pepper on the back end, along with a hint of mustiness and some blueberry. But as I said, it's a pretty closed nose. The mouth feel is light. Taste profile? I get blueberry, followed by some plum, and then a heavy minerality, with a bit of the fruit hanging on through the finish (dark fruit), closing with the pepper that was so recognizable on the nose. This is a delightfully dry Chianti, with near-max pucker quality. Compared to the non-Reserva da Vinci, this wine offers less fruit, more minerality, and more pepper. The fruit it does offer is considerably darker, as well. If it has a weakness, it's length: it just doesn't stick around very long. Another issue might be the lack of aromatics. However, I really like this wine: it's an extremely dry Tuscan red that offers authentic minerality from the region, with some mature dark fruit that's unique and not overpowering, plus nice white pepper. But beware: the fruit isn't the star here--it plays a supporting role. I think everyone should give this one a try, if for nothing else, than to sample a Chianti that has something different to offer than the run-of-the-mill stuff available at pizza joints city-wide. Salute'!
+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot (red)
2006
$14.99
90+ pts
Just revisited this delicious Chianti--drinking a glass right now, in fact!--and I love it as much today as I did two years ago, despite a broadening of my palette over that same period. This is a wonderful, high-quality Chianti priced to drink everyday--and that's saying something, considering how many tasteless Chiantis exist in our all-too-imperfect world. Ruby red color in the glass, the aroma offers deep, rich soil, with, perhaps, mushrooms. In terms of taste, the initial attack features cherries, plums, and some spice hints on the tongue (cherry skin, too). Then, underneath, bridging the initial attack and mid-palette as stylishly as Ponte Vecchio bridges the shores of the River Arno, this real-deal Chianti offers some Old World, earthy undertones, a little taste of Tuscan dirt (with a hint of manure) that screams authenticity. The small percentage of Merlot helps soften the tannins, and smooth out the finish. Nice length, too. Two years ago I reported this Italian red, great by itself or with pizza or pasta, is worth its weight in gold. And as 2010 nears its end--it still is. Easy to find throughout Chicagoland. Do yourself a favor, and find a bottle soon!
+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva (by Castello Banfi)
Italia: Tuscany (Montalcino)
A Blend: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2005
75 pts
$25.00
Received as a gift, and online I've seen this wine priced anywhere between $18.00 and $35.00. Very odd. This is a bad Chianti. Had this at a wine-tasting at our place with some friends, and I so wanted to like it, a gift from two of my nieces last Christmas (and I'm a big fan of a good Chianti). But I found the Banfi Chianti Classico Rerserva to be paper-thin, with an artificial, almost plastic taste. I also think the color was much too dark for Chianti, perhaps indicating too little Sangiovese and too much of the Nero or Cab? In any event, I wasn't alone, as this wine received the lowest rating of the eight we tasted that night. And particularly at this price, it's not something I will drink, again. I see that Wine & Spirits gave this vino 91 points. Yikes! I say run from this wine: it's just not good.
Bolla Chianti (by Bolla Wines)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
San Giovese + Cannaiolo (red)
2007
$8.99
85 pts
D.O.C.G.; not horrible, but nowhere near as good as the Da Vinci; no finish; this wine just falls flat. And the Da Vinci, so much better, is also less expensive. Dana bought this at Lincoln Park Market. Not a great wine at all, but this store does have a nice selection of vino, fyi. And Dana enjoys the 'samples' when it's time to do some grocery shopping! .
+MUST TRY+
Chianti Colli Senesi (by Agricola Ficomontanino)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti Classico, near Siena)
San Giovesese 90%, Colorino 5%, Canaiolo 3%, Trebbiano 2% (red)
2005
92 pts
Bought in Italy December 2007; fresh, with good fruit, great with beef or white meat; D.O.C.G.
Collezione di Paolo Chianti
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti, Rufina)
Sangiovese (red)
2009
$15.99
89 pts
This is a young (still a little green) but delicious Chianti, full of flavorful sour cherries on the initial attack and right through the mid-palette, before finishing with a hint of mushroom, some barnyard, and just a bite of chocolate for desert. The mouth feel is smooth and the tannins firm, and I get the sense that this wine will achieve even more depth over the next few years, with the earthiness stepping up as a full partner with the fresh red cherries (will be interesting to see if the chocolate becomes more pronounced, too). Having received a case from my brother-in-law today (what a wonderful gift!), I look forward to enjoying the Collezione di Paolo Chianti over the next two years as it matures. In the short run, think I'll decant it a bit before consumption. At sixteen bucks, this is a wonderful wine for pizza and pasta.
+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti Reserva (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
100% Sangiovese (red)
2004
$24.99
90 pts
Received this Reserva (12 months in French oak plus 4 months bottle aging) from Dana as an early Christmas gift in 2010--an awesome gift, considering how much I enjoy this winery's Chianti! Had not tried the Reserva, however, and could not wait until December 25th. So here I am in Sarasota on holiday on 22 December, drinking my gift. The color is reddish-brown. The aroma on this wine is awfully tight, tough to pin down, even after 45 minutes of breathing. I definitley get clear white pepper on the back end, along with a hint of mustiness and some blueberry. But as I said, it's a pretty closed nose. The mouth feel is light. Taste profile? I get blueberry, followed by some plum, and then a heavy minerality, with a bit of the fruit hanging on through the finish (dark fruit), closing with the pepper that was so recognizable on the nose. This is a delightfully dry Chianti, with near-max pucker quality. Compared to the non-Reserva da Vinci, this wine offers less fruit, more minerality, and more pepper. The fruit it does offer is considerably darker, as well. If it has a weakness, it's length: it just doesn't stick around very long. Another issue might be the lack of aromatics. However, I really like this wine: it's an extremely dry Tuscan red that offers authentic minerality from the region, with some mature dark fruit that's unique and not overpowering, plus nice white pepper. But beware: the fruit isn't the star here--it plays a supporting role. I think everyone should give this one a try, if for nothing else, than to sample a Chianti that has something different to offer than the run-of-the-mill stuff available at pizza joints city-wide. Salute'!
+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot (red)
2006
$14.99
90+ pts
Just revisited this delicious Chianti--drinking a glass right now, in fact!--and I love it as much today as I did two years ago, despite a broadening of my palette over that same period. This is a wonderful, high-quality Chianti priced to drink everyday--and that's saying something, considering how many tasteless Chiantis exist in our all-too-imperfect world. Ruby red color in the glass, the aroma offers deep, rich soil, with, perhaps, mushrooms. In terms of taste, the initial attack features cherries, plums, and some spice hints on the tongue (cherry skin, too). Then, underneath, bridging the initial attack and mid-palette as stylishly as Ponte Vecchio bridges the shores of the River Arno, this real-deal Chianti offers some Old World, earthy undertones, a little taste of Tuscan dirt (with a hint of manure) that screams authenticity. The small percentage of Merlot helps soften the tannins, and smooth out the finish. Nice length, too. Two years ago I reported this Italian red, great by itself or with pizza or pasta, is worth its weight in gold. And as 2010 nears its end--it still is. Easy to find throughout Chicagoland. Do yourself a favor, and find a bottle soon!
+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva (by Castello Banfi)
Italia: Tuscany (Montalcino)
A Blend: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2005
75 pts
$25.00
Received as a gift, and online I've seen this wine priced anywhere between $18.00 and $35.00. Very odd. This is a bad Chianti. Had this at a wine-tasting at our place with some friends, and I so wanted to like it, a gift from two of my nieces last Christmas (and I'm a big fan of a good Chianti). But I found the Banfi Chianti Classico Rerserva to be paper-thin, with an artificial, almost plastic taste. I also think the color was much too dark for Chianti, perhaps indicating too little Sangiovese and too much of the Nero or Cab? In any event, I wasn't alone, as this wine received the lowest rating of the eight we tasted that night. And particularly at this price, it's not something I will drink, again. I see that Wine & Spirits gave this vino 91 points. Yikes! I say run from this wine: it's just not good.
Bolla Chianti (by Bolla Wines)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
San Giovese + Cannaiolo (red)
2007
$8.99
85 pts
D.O.C.G.; not horrible, but nowhere near as good as the Da Vinci; no finish; this wine just falls flat. And the Da Vinci, so much better, is also less expensive. Dana bought this at Lincoln Park Market. Not a great wine at all, but this store does have a nice selection of vino, fyi. And Dana enjoys the 'samples' when it's time to do some grocery shopping! .
+MUST TRY+
Chianti Colli Senesi (by Agricola Ficomontanino)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti Classico, near Siena)
San Giovesese 90%, Colorino 5%, Canaiolo 3%, Trebbiano 2% (red)
2005
92 pts
Bought in Italy December 2007; fresh, with good fruit, great with beef or white meat; D.O.C.G.
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