Wine Focus for July: Chianti & Co. as summer table wines

Here are two Tuscan Sangiovese based wines made from estates under the same reliable ownership.

IGT Toscana - Lucilla 2009 – Castello di Farnetella – Alc.13%- (c.€10), made from Sangiovese 70% and the balance from CabSauv and Merlot. This was an attractive Tuscan with round and ripe red fruit, minerals, some tangy acidity but perhaps less than usual due to a rich vintage and some quite firm tannins. The mild wood notes noticeable on earlier bottle were by now almost fully integrated; 15.5/20.

Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 2001 – Fèlsina Beradenga – Alc.13.5% - (€35 for 2008). I took out this bottle mistaking it for the regular Riserva bottling. Normally I would have waited two or three more years before broaching this grandiose but usually slow maturing cuvée. In fact, nothing was lost because the wine was in an expressive early stage of maturity. The colour was still deep red with a mild brick tint while pouring. The nose was well developed with attractively sour red fruit, gritty minerals and wet leather hints. The palate was medium/full and quite deep with robust still primary fruit, more gritty minerals, lively tangy acidity, firm tannic backbone and good length. Signs of more complex secondary development such as old book and forest floor were just beginning to peep through. 17/20 with + potential for those who like more evolution.

I note quite some price escalation on the Rancia. There is a €23,50 sticker on this bottle of 2001.

[David M. Bueker]

Rancia runs $45-$50 in the USA these days.

[Robin Garr]

Oops, I meant to post this a while back. In the spirit of the "Italian table reds for summer," it can definitely be served with enjoyment at cool cellar temperature, although I wouldn't take it much below 55F/13C for fear of muting the fruit against the acidity. Purchased it at Whole Foods wine shop, and as best I can tell, it appears to be a special label produced specifically for Whole Foods. Great value!

Pisato 2008 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ($9.99)

Garnet, dark but clear, with bright reddish-purple glints against the light. Fresh, appealing cherry-berry fruit aromas and flavors with a fragrant whiff of black pepper in the background. Mouth-watering, crisp and tart, food-friendly acidity with a bit of smooth tannin helping build structure. Very good food wine at a table-suited 13% alcohol; nicely balanced, and made with organically grown grapes if that's important to you, and an exceptional value at this price. U.S. importer: Organic Wine Trade Co., Princeton, Minn. (June 25, 2012)

FOOD MATCH: It would work any place that a Chianti goes, from spaghetti with meat sauce to rare steaks. It would make a natural match with bucatini all'Amatriciana, a specialty from its home region of Abruzzo, and it fared very well with a meatless version made with fresh local tomatoes, lots of garlic and Pecorino Romano, black and red pepper, and browned onions filling in for the traditional guanciale.

Here's one we opened tonight with Jean's first attempt at a gluten-free Chicken Parmesan:

2004 Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano "Poggio Valente"
nose: initially, mostly pencil lead, a hint of VA (ethyl acetate?) over dark red fruit; later, with airing, dusty cherry
palate: high acid, medium body, moderately tannic finish

I purchased several bottles of this from Envoyer a few years ago, as it's a birthyear wine for our son. I decided to open one up tonight in the spirit of exploration and I must conclude that it's still a very young wine. Any signs of its oak treatment in its youth are now visible only as that intrusive pencil lead element that takes air to dissipate. The rest of our bottles will sit for a few more years.

Mark Lipton

2008 Ser Lapo, Chianti Classico Riserva, Mazzei:

This made at the Castelo di Fonerutoli estate and is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. Unfortunately, I didn't know that it was aged for 1 year in 50% new French oak. It pours out a nice deep red with an orange rim, but on the nose there are ample dill-tinged pencil shavings. Mouth filling, bright red cherry, there is a nice balance and structure to the underlying wine. Some ripe tannins and very decent length, but still marred by excessive oak notes. An impulse purchase, I guess I should research the oak usage of Chianti producers beforehand. I'd like to try this made in neutral oak. 13.5% abv., $20 (on sale)

Thank you to everyone for the fascinating notes.

Since I haven't really been up opening a red Chianti recently due to the warmer weather, I decided to pop a Vin Santo del Chianti Classico. If Tuscan Sangiovese was the aim of this month's theme, then this won't make the cut. If exploring the terroir and diversity of Chianti was the goal, then this Vin Santo should be perfectly fine.

2004 Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC
50% Malvasia Bianca Lunga/50% Trebbiano Toscano. From 375 ml bottle. Lightly/moderately oxidative nose of raisins, roasted nuts, baking spices, and coffee. Lightly viscous, warm, albeit nicely balanced given the genre; smooth, and elegant. Tastes of honey, figs, roasted nuts, candied orange peel, and dried cherries. Good length/persistence. More honey and coffee on the finish. Excellent.

[Robin Garr]

If exploring the terroir and diversity of Chianti was the goal, then this Vin Santo should be perfectly fine.

Fine indeed, Andrew, and an enjoyable tasting report to read.

2008 Secco-Bertani, Valpolicella Valpantena. This is not as light as most Chianties, but then again it is light for a Ripasso. Therefore it was just the thing to go with two inch thick lamb loin chops grilled over charcoal and pecan chips; with roast potatoes and salad for sides. Very nice for an air conditioned Saturday night.

It’s hard for me to play in this theme since I drink very little Italian wine but I did find this in the cellar so here go’s…
2007 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico – Very dark color for Sangiovese (90%) and intense aromas and flavors of dark fruits. Missing was the ‘forest floor’ and funky notes I expect from Chianti. This was drunk with Georgine’s world famous spaghetti and I can’t think of many other wines that would be a better match. Very enjoyable.
Gary

I would like to have addressed the theme of Chianti as a summer wine but for the last two months we have seen no summer here. As I write these lines (3.30 pm), I hear a new deluge falling on the roof and the outside temperature is barely 18°C (c.64°F). I would gladly swap weather with one of the US drought states for a week or two.

This is a modestly priced Chianti Classico available at our local supermarket which I liked last October. Although served with meatballs, pasta and tomato sauce which are usually ideal with Chianti, it seemed to perform less well than I hoped. I have had Colli Senesi and Aretini offerings at a similar price which do better.

Chianti Classico 2008 – Terre di Priori – Alc.13% - (€9). This is seemingly a wine from a co-operative. On entry and mid-palate there was authentically robust Chianti savoury fruit and tang with decent acidity but on the not especially long finish there was an unpleasant dry caramel hint which I didn't note in October and which I often associate with clumsy oaking, though use of new barrels would seem unlikely for Chianti in this price bracket. Curiously the last sip or two after a plum tart showed better; the dry caramel was masked and greater minerality emerged; 14.5/20 (and better with that unorthodox coupling at the end of the meal).

I bought two Ruffino Chianti Classico offerings that were on sale at the grocery store and will open the first one tomorrow. I hope to compare them side-by-side on Thursday evening to see if the more expensive one is worth the extra dollars. I was also tempted to try the Peppoli Chianti Classico from Antinori or the Banfi riserva but am trying to put some restraints on my wine purchasing this summer.

Sangiovese Terre di Chieti 2010 - Caldora - Alc.12.5% - (<€7). Chieti is in in Abruzzo.

At last we are enjoying a handful of real summer days. This encouraged me to get this to accompany brochettes and pasta with a pesto sauce at dinner on the terrace and to test the value of Sangiovese based wine as a summer drink. I cooled the wine to about 15°C (c.61°F) and at first the experiment seemed very positive. There was medium/full body with plenty of savoury red fruit and refreshing tangy acidity. However, in spite of a passive earthenware "cooler", the wine warmed up quite quickly in the evening's ambient temperature of about 24°C (c.75°F) and became progressively less fresh and appealing; in particular dry caramel-like tannins, which I dislike, emerged on the finish.
As new oak is unlikely to be the culprit, I'm led to think that such tannins may be a characteristic of a lot of young Sangiovese, at least those of less noble origin (see my TN above on CC Terre di Prori 08). Also pesto may not have been an ideal component of the pairing. 15/20++ QPR at 15°C declining to 14/20 at 19°C with ? about pesto.

2009 Corvo, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia ($8.00 U.S.). Alcohol Level: 12.5%. Gave red cherries and plums on the nose and upfront; and more red berries, a nice medium body, and smooth tannin on the plate. We matched it with our Lamb Shanks and spaghetti, and a garden salad. This is a very nice everyday wine.

[David M. Bueker]

So the weather cooled off yesterday. I was grilling, so belatedly decided to participate with a 1999 Felsina Chianti Classico that was sadly corked.

Figures.

[Robin Garr]

So the weather cooled off yesterday. I was grilling, so belatedly decided to participate with a 1999 Felsina Chianti Classico that was sadly corked.

Figures.

Gaaaaahhhhh!!

Terren Nere, Etan Rosso, Calderara Sottana, 2009

So the hype is, as I wrote when I covered this rising star, is that the Etna Rosso DOC/Nerello Mascalese grape is the either the Bourgogne or Barolo of Sicily. The question is: which is it? With this cuvee, the vote is split down the middle, as the aromas (red cherries, flowers, a hint of salty sweat and the slightly cured spicines) have an affinity with both Pinot Noir and Nebbilo, while the palate has the light touch of the former and the tea-bag tannins of the latter. Approachable, once you get by the not-formidable-but-stubborn tannins, but this could go for as long as a decent Nebbiolo of a similar age, I think.

OK, I realize this is a little pricy to be considered a table wine, but the following fits the bill better:

Caruso and Minini, Sicilia IGT, Tasari (Nero d'Avola-Merlot), 2010

Very appealing rustic charm, without any chunkiness, just fresh, savory berry fruit with a hint of herbs and minerals. (July 8, 2012)

Two from Ruffino.
2007 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico. $19.99 at grocery store. Reduced from $29.99. 13.5% abv. Dark purple-red; nearly opaque. Dark berries, herbs, earth, soft tannins comingle in the mouth. Drinks smoothly complementing cheese tortelloni in a tomato and basil sauce. Nice finish on this wine. At a tomato dinner in Raleigh with wine pairings we had a glass of 2007 Maialina Chianti Classico Riserva and I liked that even better than the Ruffino CCR. I ordered two bottles at $25 each for later pickup and look forward to opening them.
2006 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico. $31.99 at grocery store. Reduced from $50. 13.5% abv. Aged in oak casks for over 24 months. Deeper, fuller black- and purple-fruited flavors. The Oro version benefits from decanting and aeration. I think it could use another 2 or 3 years to fully integrate. At this moment I prefer the Riserva Ducale to the Riserva Ducale Oro.