Sometimes there are wines and vintages that you just wish you had bought more of. That rarely happens to me when I get to taste a wine before buying – I am pretty good at sizing them up and going for it when I find one that I think has a future (still sitting on stores of things like 95 Beaucastel, 98 Donjon, 86 and 89 Meyney, 95 Les Cailloux, 95 Santa Duc HG etc.)
This is one such vintage in Tuscany. I find the Italian restaurateurs’ practice of hauling out superannuated Chiantis that look like tawny Ports and had their best years several decades ago usually at outrageous prices, with patient amusement, but if they offered wines like this I’d be considering ordering them.
The colour is still quite dark and the edges are clear. Nose of black cherry and a hint of mocha, with a bit of tobacco (Latakia? The spicy smoky notes would lead me there). In the mouth it is very clean and fruit forward and has soft tannins in the background. Good length, held up for a couple of hours without any deterioration and added some interesting anise hints toward the end. Wish I’d laid down more! (The 1995 Tenuta Marchesi, on the other hand was very decent but was drunk up a couple of years ago – big difference in this vintage, between the two wines).
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