Cigliano Chianti Classico

The Cigliano wine comes from an original Antinori estate and has become a leading producer in the area. The 2016 Cigliano Chianti Classico Riserva is an excellent Chianti expression.

This wine has a bright ruby colour. The key aspects of this medium- to full-bodied wine are its vibrancy and structure. Red cherry, cranberry, tea leaves and black pepper are balanced by lively acidity. This wine has drive and elegance in spades. The finish is quite long.

Score: 95/+++

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Mini Vertical

This mini vertical of Sassicaia was one of my most unusual and perplexing vertical tasting experiences. We tasted three wines: 2014, 2011 and 2004 Sassicaia. 

This was an informal tasting with friends, and I took no notes. Therefore, the descriptions are brief. The picture below shows the 2011  in the glass on the left side, and the 2014 on the right side. The 2014 has an almost pink colour like a Pinot Noir. Sassicaia is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The taste of the 2014 suggests almost the reverse. Cabernet Franc style flavours dominate. It is a fragrant wine, not much depth nor length (88 points). 

The 2011 has a more typical colour profile. Again the wine is medium-bodied, with blackcurrant flavours. This is an elegant wine with a decent structure, but not much complexity on the palate (92 points).

The 2004 was clearly the best of these three and what I had expected. The flavour profile of this full-bodied wine is profound: blackcurrant, black cherry, olive, mocca, some spices. The texture is elegant and the structure perfectly balanced. The tannins are smooth and lead to a long and satisfying finish (96 points).

Felsina Chianti Classico

Felsina is one of the stalwarts of the Chianti Classico style: you get the Sangiovese profile, high acidity, good with food, in particular tomato based dishes.

The 2013 Felsina Chianti Classico is very savoury. Actually, it is surprisingly tart and lean. Red cherry and olive flavours are drowned out by acidity and firm tannins. This still makes it a reasonable, but ultimately not very interesting food wine.

Score: 89/- 

  

Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico

The Peppoli wine brand is high volume, yet a cut above industrially made wines.

The 2014 Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico tastes of red cherry and warm spices. The wine is well balanced, and the acidity creates a line through the palate. The wine is medium in concentration and mouthfeel. It is quite elegant, with firm, but not coarse tannins, as it comes to a harmonious finish.

Score: 91/++

Frescobaldi Pomino Pinot Noir

This is the first of a few posts on Italian wines. Italy produces red wines of all kinds and with high quality, but it is not known for Pinot Noir. I was curious to experience what a Pinot Noir from Tuscany would be like.

The 2013 Frescobaldi Pomino has a medium intensity crimson colour. The aroma is fruity and lifted.  This is a light-bodied wine with red cherry flavours on the palate. There are savoury notes as well. There is not much depth in this wine, nor complexity. The mouthfeel is pretty, but a little weak. The finish falls short.

Score: 86/0

Querciabella Chianti Classico

You know you are getting cherry flavours and plenty of acidity from Chianti Classico. But then, the mouthfeel is often dusty, as the fruit does not stand up to the tannins.

This 2012 Querciabella Chianti Classico is different. The red and black cherry flavours are vibrant and have considerable depth. The overall impression is savoury, though. This wine has a beautiful mouthfeel, with all components in harmony. Neither acids nor tannins are overblown, but provide an excellent structure. At present, the wine is very lively and enjoyable. It will be even better in a couple of years, when the fruit aromas integrate and the tannins soften.

Score: 93/+++

Felsina Chianti Classico

Australian winemakers are complaining about the high growth of imports. Yet, the reality is they are not just a curiosity factor, but they have become very competitive here. Apart from the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc phenomenon (which is likely to implode), there is Chablis which competes with good quality Aussie Chardonnay, there is Tempranillo, which offers an alternative to our heavy Shirazes and Cabernets, and then there is Sangiovese.

Pairing a Sangiovese with a minced meat and tomato based dish is one of the perfect combinations. Fattoria di Felsina has been a very reliable producer and this 2006 Felsina Chianti Classico does not disappoint. This is a medium to full bodied wine with red and black cherry flavours complemented by earthy flavours. The mouthfeel is satisfying, although not very persisting, as the wine's acidity cuts through the food. This wine does not deliver enough on its own, but it is an excellent food wine: not imposing, but strong enough to be an equal partner.

Score: 91/++

Poggerino Chianti Classico

The 2006 Poggerino Chianti Classico is the perfect wine for pizza. It is serious enough to be enjoyed, but not a stellar wine which would reward too much attention. From an outstanding vintage in Tuscany, this wine has bright red cherry flavours and plenty of acidity to cut through the food. It is probably best drunk in three to five years when the acid has mellowed somewhat, but I enjoyed it just the same right now.

Marchesi De Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo

I allowed myself a bit of a treat tonight. It is the 1997 CastelGiocondo Riserva Brunello di Montalcino. This is a famous wine from a famous vintage. Of course, todaythings are a lot tougher in Montalcino. Police is running an investigation into the labelling of Brunello. This wine has to be 100% Sangiovese and apparently there have been violations. Quite a bit of wine is being locked up. However, Frescobaldi claims innocence and does not appear to be involved.

Anyway, this wine has a dark ruby colour with an orange glow. It tastes of dark cherry and is quite a dense wine initially. The fullness disappears a little on the mid palate before leading to a silky, long finish. The wine has complex savoury flavours underpinned by strong tannins. This Brunello is still quite acidic and will have at least 10 years ahead of it.

Castellare Chianti Classico

The first Chiantis of the acclaimed 2006 vintage in Tuscany have arrived. Last night I tried the 2006 Castellare Chianti Classico. It is certainly quite a substantial wine for a Chianti. The flavours are of black cherries, but not very differentiated. The wine is quite savoury, a little bit tart. It will benefit from a year or two cellaring to soften the tannins. I will be interested to try other Chiantis from this vintage, which might be a bit more 'user friendly' and interesting.

Gaja Toscana

Last night we had pasta. Usually I open a bottle of Chianti/Sangiovese with it, because its acidity cuts so well through the meal, but yesterday I found this 2000 Gaja Magari Ca'Marcanda. It is Gaja's entry wine, if such a word can be allowed for him, a Cabernet/Merlot blend.

Gaja is probably Italy's best known producer, based in Piedmont, with a portfolio of incredibly elegant and long lasting wines. A few years ago, he branched out into the Toscana.

This wine had nice cherry like flavours, good structure and harmony. On the downside, the depth of the fruit, which we had in the Voyager, for example, was missing. Very clearly, the wine is made from young fruit. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a good food fine and I recommend this to anyone who wants to drink Gaja for less than $100 per bottle.