Asimov's take on Chianti Classico Riserva

StephenCFahy · July 21, 2010, 9:03pm

Interesting read on Asimov’s view of Chianti Classico Riserva: http://nyti.ms/cBb8p8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi · July 21, 2010, 9:22pm

Interesting piece. We also had an 06 Chianti tasting around new years and found the wines largely to be backwards and dark. I remember the Felsinas to be shut as nails so hopefully they’re opening up…Some were overextracted and international in treatment. Regardless, there was a lot of perceived structure from the big boys. Maybe not chinatiesque but quality. I’d generally hold onto them for 10 years before approaching Here are my notes:

2006 Castello dei Rampolla Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Rubber and acetone with some rubbing oil and varnish. Was this lightly corked? Upon returning to it, some of the burnt rubber had subsided and muted notes of plum and tar had developed. A sound bottle? Not my favorite (FLAWED)

2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Dirt, with earthy elements of sour cherries and light licorice. This is a well balanced wine, but the finish leaves one wishing for more. A touch muted, but not particularly inspiring.

2006 Fattoria Viticcio Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Opens a bit primal on the nose but rounds out with time in the glass. Beautiful floral notes of black cassis and cherry, with some toasty creosote. A very refined mouthfeel as the toasty French style oak integrates a smooth creamy finish. This is a polished wine and one to seek out if the price isn’t painful. In my top 3 wines of the night.

2006 San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baroncole - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Again a touch muted upon opening with some piercing acidity on the palate but with time it begins to show some earthy truffled elements with ruby red cherry. A nice food wine

2006 Brancaia Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
A very new world profile, with heavy oak and tar integration. Monolithic and expansive, needing time. With more air, earthy elements emerge from under the structure. The finish rounds out with more time. It doesn’t feel very Chianti?

2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
A backward and tannic wine that budges little but shows good craft. Far too infantile to evaluate properly. It shows good craft but not much else at this point. Revist in several years or decant heavily!

2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Creosote, tar, tobacco but dominated by the acetone which had afflicted the Rampolla. The wine has some nice integration in the mouth and has wonderful grip with big tannins. Again, too primal to really evaluate?

2006 San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Ashy, earth driven nose with nice mulberry. Rounded and tasty. Good table wine, should pair with light pastas up to gamey dishes.

2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Very nice. The wine retains the earthy, chianti driven feel with dark cherry and a floral expansive nose. The wine has grip and textured tannins that are almost chewy. Still has a ton of structure but is more accessible than the other bigger wines. Turns out to be the Felsina Riserva and I’m glad to know as I can drink these while waiting for the Rancias!

2006 Podere il Palazzino Chianti Classico Grosso Sanese - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico
Light on the mouth with nice acidity and a wonderfully light Burgundian finish. The nose is tight but shows promise. Not much movement, but there is something intriguing about this wine!

Chris_Seiber · July 21, 2010, 11:46pm

A wine like the 06 Felsina CC Riserva, what would you guys guess the aging curve to be like on a wine like that? I drink Chianti here and there without usually giving it as much thought as other wines (guilty as charged), so I don’t have as much experience with the timing, but maybe I’ll get some of these and check in with it over time.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Bob_Hughes · July 22, 2010, 1:31am

With the caveat that Felsina is my favorite chianti, so I’m not sure this is 100% objective feedback, these wines are easily built to reward 15-20 years of cellaring, and can probably carry on for another 10 after that assuming proper storage. One of the things I like best about chianti is the very wide drinking span - while a Felsina CCR can be angular & acidic on release, usually a couple of years in the cellar will allow the wine to show much more harmoniously, and then you can sample as you wish every year or so. Because of this drinking window, it tends to be a wine that I think merits purchasing by the case so you can enjoy the wine’s phases through it’s evolution to maturity.

StephenCFahy · July 22, 2010, 2:27pm

X2

Frank_Drew · July 22, 2010, 2:58pm

What Bob said.

Chris_Seiber · July 22, 2010, 5:37pm

Thanks so much for taking time to share your views on that.

I’ve been one of those (probably many) who have assumed Chiantis to be wines to drink young with spaghetti on a weeknight and so forth, and of course it’s perfectly nice for that, but I can see that I’ve been missing out on the upside and development. I’m looking forward to picking up some of this Felsina and seeing where it goes.

Lyle_Fass · July 22, 2010, 5:47pm

Asimov said Felsina was his favorite so not sure why the fuss? His complaints were about the dark, purple oak monsters that pass themselves off as CCR. I agree. I also wish he would have tasted more “real” CCR’s likes Le Boncie, Montesecondo, etc.

Nathan_V · July 22, 2010, 7:26pm

Lyle Fass:

Bob Hughes:

With the caveat that Felsina is my favorite chianti, so I’m not sure this is 100% objective feedback, these wines are easily built to reward 15-20 years of cellaring, and can probably carry on for another 10 after that assuming proper storage. One of the things I like best about chianti is the very wide drinking span - while a Felsina CCR can be angular & acidic on release, usually a couple of years in the cellar will allow the wine to show much more harmoniously, and then you can sample as you wish every year or so. Because of this drinking window, it tends to be a wine that I think merits purchasing by the case so you can enjoy the wine’s phases through it’s evolution to maturity.

Asimov said Felsina was his favorite so not sure why the fuss? His complaints were about the dark, purple oak monsters that pass themselves off as CCR. I agree. I also wish he would have tasted more “real” CCR’s likes Le Boncie, Montesecondo, etc.

Yeah, it surprised me that he didn’t taste those. IIRC, we have specifically talked about Montesecondo. Maybe because it all goes to NC because NYers have no fucking sense.

Hank_Gillespie · July 22, 2010, 10:59pm

I find Chiantis so versatile as a companion with different foods. The fact that I really enjoy Italian fare is a big plus in matching these wines.

Of course, everyone has their favourite producer, but over the years of drinking numerous Chiantis I have come to appreciate the excellent wines from Castello di Ama over most others.
Castello di Ama actually make three Chianti Classicos - the regular bottling and two single vineyard wines, Vigneto La Casuccia and Vigneto Bellavista. The other red wine that is made there is L’Apparita, a high quality Merlot.
All of the wines from di Ama are somewhat expensive, but nothing worthwhile comes cheap…and these wines offer solid drinking pleasure in addition to long cellar lives.

I keep a supply of the Castello di Ama wines in my cellar in Edmonton.

Hank

Lyle_Fass · July 23, 2010, 4:52am

Hank Gillespie:

I find Chiantis so versatile as a companion with different foods. The fact that I really enjoy Italian fare is a big plus in matching these wines.

Of course, everyone has their favourite producer, but over the years of drinking numerous Chiantis I have come to appreciate the excellent wines from Castello di Ama over most others.
Castello di Ama actually make three Chianti Classicos - the regular bottling and two single vineyard wines, Vigneto La Casuccia and Vigneto Bellavista. The other red wine that is made there is L’Apparita, a high quality Merlot.
All of the wines from di Ama are somewhat expensive, but nothing worthwhile comes cheap…and these wines offer solid drinking pleasure in addition to long cellar lives.

I keep a supply of the Castello di Ama wines in my cellar in Edmonton.

Hank

I agree. Love the Ama cru bottlings. Pricey but real chianti no doubt.

Nathan_V · July 23, 2010, 4:21pm

Lyle Fass:

Hank Gillespie:

I find Chiantis so versatile as a companion with different foods. The fact that I really enjoy Italian fare is a big plus in matching these wines.

Of course, everyone has their favourite producer, but over the years of drinking numerous Chiantis I have come to appreciate the excellent wines from Castello di Ama over most others.
Castello di Ama actually make three Chianti Classicos - the regular bottling and two single vineyard wines, Vigneto La Casuccia and Vigneto Bellavista. The other red wine that is made there is L’Apparita, a high quality Merlot.
All of the wines from di Ama are somewhat expensive, but nothing worthwhile comes cheap…and these wines offer solid drinking pleasure in addition to long cellar lives.

I keep a supply of the Castello di Ama wines in my cellar in Edmonton.

Hank

I agree. Love the Ama cru bottlings. Pricey but real chianti no doubt.

Except for the part where merlot makes it into the CC.

FWIW, I really like the merlot, but don’t find the single vineyard CCs to be anywhere near worth the money. Montevertine is where it’s at if you want to spend some $$.