Alessi Arcibaldo 1997: Very nice Supertuscan (Cab/Sangi): Still quite tannic, even decanted. Not a lot of nose, but nice black fruit with a lovely smooth leather backdrop. Quite nice-not a lot of info or tasting notes
on the web for this wine.
Riecine 1999 Chianti classico Riserva. THIS is the kind of Chinati I like. Lovely earthy nose. Dark fruit, again, with some nice black cherry. The leather and tobacco and earth was very nice, a little more interesting than the Arcibaldo, to me. WOFTN imo.
Podere il Pallzino Gosso Sanese 2003. Had an earlier vintage of this wine and enjoyed it. Quite nice, a little richer and heavier than the Riecine. I think this wine might show better in five years. I didn't quite like it as much as the previous one.
La Massa Giorgio Primo. Someone here mentioned this as "spoofified." It was rated very highly in WS. Very, very smooth and easily drinkable. Much softer than the other three wines, with less leather and tobacco. Some of the tasters rated this one the highest. It was nice, but a little bland to my tastes. Not really "sweet" to my palette (A Wine Spectator comment), although another taster noted a sweetness I missed. This might have showed better if tasted FIRST.
Not a bad evening at all!
. I would probably buy three of the four wines again (although they are at the pricey end of Chianti). I probably would not buy the Giorgio Primo-way too expensive for a light quaffer