Notes from a Chianti blind tasting
We started off with an interesting pink wine – a sparkling sangiovese:
Felsina Vino Spumante Qualita Brut Rose – I tend to shy away from Italian spumantes as I have met far too many soft slightly off dry insipid examples and there are many, many alternatives that are much more enjoyable, but this was an exception. Balanced, dry, fair length and a clean finish. Some nice cherry hints.
1978 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva – era morto. Nothing there of interest.Was like an oxidized old Burgundy with a completely flat finish.
1978 Stefano Farina Chianti Classico Riserva Le Bocce – sadly, this was also even paler pink colour, flat and dead.
1990 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro Gran Selezione – I had this in my cellar since release and fortunately it turned out well. Nice colour, some spice in the nose, fair fruit and good length. Special gold label on this one.
2016 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico – dark wine with a very nice nose of dark cherries, and quite good length.
2007 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia – in a very nice place right now with bright fruit but the secondary characteristics starting to show. Tiny bits of iron, tobacco and licorice in the nose, and a long sweet finish. Excellent.
2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio – this seemed very young and was a dark polished wine with lavish fruit in the nose and on palate. Wish I had some!
2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo – hard to choose between this and the previous wine – both were without flaw. It was dark, with a nose of black cherry plus an element of raspberry as well, and a hint of pepper. Excellent length.
For cheese wines we went with two different approaches. First, I opened a dry wine:
1998 Poliziano Le Stanze Toscana IGT – this wine, blended from Bordeaux varietals, was claret in the mouth but Tuscany in the nose. Red fruit and cedar nose, with plummy sweet fruit. Still in excellent shape
2010 Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico – dark apricot colour and dried apricot rancio nose all the way. Would be great for dipping biscotti!