TN: 2010 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

2010 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG (3/18/2015)
Tasted over two nights, and clearly better on the second night when it had opened up a bit, bringing fruit and earth elements to the forefront, and taming some of the dusty tannin. The rest of my bottles will go into a fairly long sleep, but this was a good experiment.

Posted from CellarTracker

Barely noticed the tannins myself, but they are there once you get past the ethereal floral-fruit aromatics. The fruit expression on the palate does take a while to unwind…

Thanks for the early look. I think mine will rest comfortably for a few more years before I pop one open.

Dave, useful as always. Any idea whether I should be stirring the cradle of my 01 and 04 Ranciae.

No. I have some of the '04, but it’s buried, so no chance to peek without an excavation crew.

Yeah, on my last look, even the '04 CCR was still pretty reticent. I am tempted to take a look at the Fontalloro, though.

Well the '10 Fontalloro is pretty darned open, or at least it was in late January.

Whoa, David, thanks for providing data points for the team. I’ve never opened one within a decade of it’s release, except a half bottle of '06 that was shut down tightly. I’m still sitting on a couple of '95’s.
No harm or foul though; the Rancia is still priced to allow a guiltless early visit or two.
Have you opened any of the '10 CCR?

I opened an '06 Fontalloro a few weeks ago. My only note was “really liked this.” I was worried, because all six of my bottles were delivered on release with proud corks. I almost sent them back at the time fearing heat damage. I just got tired of looking at them apprehensively though the years and had to open one.

I opened a couple bottles of 2004 Rancia this last December that were singing, but overshadowed by a 2001 Granbussia that was very young but bursting with energy/fruit/rounded tannin.

I have. It’s a bit primary right now, but I think there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had. It showed more complexity on the second day, which is something that I’ve seen very few times. It really is a lovely wine, and crazy good for the price, but the latter is kind of a given with Chianti of this caliber.

The 2004 I opened a few weeks ago was notably grumpy and in no mood to play. Based on my bottle, I’d wait four or five years before opening another.

I’ve had a couple '06 Fontalloro in the last couple years and was happy to see they are drinking so well. And I know what you mean about Felsina’s corks. They frequently scare the hell out of me but so far so good.

Repeating myself, but in my opinion the 2010 Felsina Rancia are drinking well in their own way now, although I am putting the rest of mine to sleep for the next decade or so. But the tannins that David refer to are modest, a problem maybe if you are used to drinking only Riesling and Burgs. But the character of the 2010 Rancia that is noteworthy at this point is the floral aromatics (best note to date on the wine is provided by Ian d’Agata, although Galloni also mentions this). The palate is certainly the slowest to unwind. But after five bottles that drank consistently (well, one was just singing, the other four a bit more backward), it seems that this is not your everyday Rancia (as d’Agata noted as well).

And I would say the Rancia was drinking better (more expressive, more floral, more aromatic) than the CCR, although still the upside potential on the Rancia would argue for saving as many of these for the longer haul.

Couldn’t agree more about the nose on this wine, I could have smelled it all night, I can only imagine were this will be a decade from now.

Just had another bottle of the 2010 Felsina CCR last night and it had lost some of its darker brooding quality and was much more expressive, really classic Chianti in the more rustic style of the region (very different from the profile of the Rancia IMO). But the nose had opened up, giving off waves of Sangiovese in a slightly blunt style (at least as compared to the far more elegant Rancia). But very enjoyable nontheless…

And also less tannin than the Rancia, although tannin is one of the last things I notice for some reason (too many young Bordeaux in my past)…

I had this Sunday afternoon and I just could not put it down. It was really enjoyable revealing a lovely floral bouquet with tons of sweet dark cherries. It was nicely balanced with a decent structure and just the right amount of acid and tannin to hold it together. The velvety tannins coated your mouth with hints of earthy spice that lingered into a wonderful finish. Finished off the bottle later that evening and it was just singing. I plan on picking up a few bottles as this was just so pleasurable to drink.

Nice note. I agree these will improve over time but I have been impressed with them on day 2/3 in their early years.

I bought maybe 8 or 9 bottles of 06 Fontalloro, back when it was only $40. I’ve had a few scattered bottles over the intervening years, and it’s not a wine that ever shut down or is ever going to. The fruit has been really flashy and scrumptious in its younger years, but I also think the structure is there for significantly more aging and more complexity.

This one (Rancia) is worth obtaining. At $40 per on the West Coast this should have QPR printed on the label, although I understand $20 Chablis isn’t unusual. After a 12 hour decant, still tannic up front, but even that is shall I say soft or acceptable, even enjoyable. That more subtle Chianti flavor is evident. I’d open it in a wide decanter, easily in the morning if not the day before for dinner enjoyment. This has the makings for something mighty tasty in not to many years, maybe 5 years. Went in for 3 and added 4 more once I tried it. I would have added more, but I read 2011 is good too and my wine locker is stuffed. Thank you for the recommendation.