I thought I remembered reading a not so positive note about a 1999 Badia a Coltobuono Chianti Classico Riserva. I enjoyed a bottle that I opened a few months ago, and saved this last bottle for a red wine risotto and mushroom dish that I thought would work nicely with this wine. It did.
We began with seared scallops placed over a mixed green and herb salad in a light raspberry vinaigrette. No wine with this, but if I had any of the 2005 Macon L'Expression Domaine St. Barbe from the night before, it would have worked nicely.
The risotto, cooked with the wine and pancetta, dried porcini, fresh shiitake, button mushrooms and some herbs from the garden was a beautiful match to the Chianti. The wine was earthy and showed plums and roasted meats - chewy and rustic, and exactly what I wanted for this dish.
I love earthier Chianti.