Introductory Remarks:
Opened and drank this wine by myself while Darcey was away in Louisville. This is really the first serious Italian wine I have tried. To me the very word Chianti brings to mind that awful, awful wine my parents used to drink at Thanksgiving in those silly little bottles wrapped in straw, saved as kitsch for the bookshelves. It was bad wine, and I remember hating wine back then because of wines just like this, even though I was thrilled that we got to have several glasses at this special time of year – thrilled that we got to drink something alcoholic, which was forbidden the rest of the year (Christmas and New Years’ excluded, of course). So, here I am, some 30 years later trying Chianti once again; let’s give it a whirl!
First nose:
Mmm, right off the bat this wine made me smile, asking me to believe that this was the beginning of a decent bottle. We’ll see! Nice plum aroma mixed with that ubiquitous red-wine black cherry, something I am really getting used to in reds. Also present is some wonderfully fresh underarm perspiration, which I really like. Definitely a complex nose, though not too different from some of the other nice reds I’ve been drinking lately. Sometimes I like something different, though, so at first, here, I am a little disappointed, but maybe this is a good introduction to Italian wines: something familiar. I can tell the quality is there, I’ve just got to wait now to let her open up some.
First palate:
I always try the wine first, before letting it sit, to gauge where it is versus where it will be hours from now. This Chianti has a nice smooth mouthfeel at the outset, not too tight and with promise of good times ahead. A bit hot on the finish initially – well, maybe more than a bit hot – with not enough balance overall, yet, but good structure. The acidity seems pretty high in relation to the tannins and the fruit, but that could be what the Sangiovese grape IS, after all, or so this is what I’ve read, which seems accurate according to my mouth right now. There is a little sting at the front of the palate that shocks you a bit, making this not as velvety as I might like, but let’s give it more of a chance.
Later nose:
Ahhh, now it’s getting more interesting and distinct, not a run-of-the mill red, with perfumed cabbage in a beef stew. Brussels sprout, yup, there they are, being brought to the table by your big Aunt Mabel with the overpowering perfume, trying to conceal her incessant perspiration. I LIKE this muskiness that this Chianti is now showing, making me apologize for the thought, earlier, of this being like so many other reds, and although it still IS like many other reds, it is yet different from the Spanish, French, and California reds. Definitely different than every Australian I have had. This wine has some aspects of Pinot Noir, but in a heavier format, and still the typical cherries and plum of traditional Cabs, or similar blends; a good blend, I think, between Old and New World styles, as I understand them. Shows obvious barrel aging, but not overly so: this is oak adding goodness and roundness, not over-the-topness. Tobacco is here too, not from your grandfather’s leather pouch, but rather from the bottom of your Aunt Mabel’s black purse, with all that perfume mixed in there. Hmmm, perhaps this perfume is getting to me a bit, as it would if you sat next to Aunt Mabel in church. And wow, something in here is really BRINGING me to a large cathedral, with the tall ceilings and stained-glass windows and the long oak pews … ???
Later palate:
This Chianti is coming along nicely, I think. I am happy to be here, alone, with this glass in my hand on my bed. I am learning through this bottle that the Sangiovese grape has a lighter tannic backbone than I am used to, but I am not minding that here. The finish disappears for a second, then hits the throat with the heat and dripping tobacco-fruit. I think that’s what the strong acidity is doing, holding your palate right up there for a moment before allowing the finish its proper due. Now, however, the tannins are showing their pride by blending with the acidity, which is, I admit, playing nicely, not feeling threatened (how could it!), not kicking up a fuss. I seem to need to learn the same lesson again and again with these quality red wines, which is PATIENCE! Once I gave this Italian contender a chance, it became a friend. I’m sitting here looking at my wine glass, a third full of this honest elixir, wondering, amazed in the knowledge, how so many can drink crap, like, for instance, that stuff from Australia with the kangaroo on it. What are they tasting? Are they simply drinking and not thinking about WHAT they are drinking? It must be that. Good wine is all around us; there is no reason to drink crap. Those of you in the know, please help your brethren taste the difference. Actually, no, WAIT! Cancel that, imagine how the prices would soar if everybody was demanding good wine! Let’s keep these good little secrets to ourselves! I’ll have to seek out more of these Chianti Classico wines, and soon, as Darcey and I have been waiting patiently for our Italian phase to kick in (we’re still heavy into Spanish wines right now). I’m bummed she isn’t here to share this one, but now that I have a taste, I’ll want more, so she’ll get her chance. Again, the high acidity takes a little getting used to, I think. I took the opportunity to try the wine with food, since I didn’t have to share it with anybody, so I had some homemade spaghetti. I want to remind the reader that I am a wine-first guy, but this wine did not detract at all from the Italian meal, nor the food detract from the wine, BUT, neither did either help the other too much. The acidity of the Chianti just came barreling through no matter what. Overall, though, I am liking this wine. At $25 it is only fair to midland in the QPR quotient. Good nose, good quality mouthfeel, and a fun evening.
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating: 89
Would I drink it again? 
Yes!
Would I buy it again? 
No, I’d rather try other Chiantis before buying this particular one again. It wasn’t all that special, really, and there truly are many others to try.
