TN: 1999 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

WINE TALK
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Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks for the note. How is the wood? Drying?

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Much to my surprise, a bottle tasted last spring was surprisingly approachable. To answer the question about drying wood; it was structured, but well-balanced en bouche. I suspect that it will improve significantly over the next decade, however.

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I recently had a bottle of this, and much to my surprise it didnt show well. It was very muted, acidic, and almost had no aromatics at all. Was never quite sure if it was too young, too old, heat damaged or otherwise “off”. Glad to hear somebody had better luck with theirs

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Mattias,

I’ve also had this reaction to some of the others I’ve opened in the past. That’s why I put them away for a few years before trying again. Honestly I was not expecting much when I pulled this bottle but boy was I pleasantly surprised. Maybe I got the lucky bottle. I have a few left so we’ll see.

The cork was very tight in the neck and hard to pull out. Great shape. It was not drying as many Chianti can be, probably because the mature fruit is in perfect balance with the structure.

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Guys,

The Rancia is often rather sullen and muted roughly from about 24 months after bottling until as much as a decade later. If opened at the wrong time, one could indeed ask what the hoopla is about but this bottling is notorious for this reason. What can I say but: good things come to those who wait.

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This is the exact experience I had with a 1990 Rancia Riserva (split) just the other night.

A 1990 Giacosa barbaresco on the same table showed just as poorly. It was a chore to drink (and of course one feels compelled to finish the bottle). Given the lineup that night, it was one of the most disappointing dinners I’ve experienced!

That was my first shot at the Rancia Riserva, and possibly my last. Even if it was showing well, I’m not sure I’d care for the oak treatment.

And I’ve just never been wowed by a Giacosa. People tell me “you must drink the red label; only the red label shows true Giacosa”. Perhaps. But I think that money’s better spent on B & G Mascarello, Cappellano, G. Rinaldi - producers whose wines have always shown better for me (despite reputations for “never coming around”). I’ve recently had '03/'04 Bartolo’s that were drinking very well young, the '03 surprisingly lovely and finessed for the vintage. For my palate, leaps and bounds better than the Giacosa.

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Two very curious remarks, as far as I’m concerned. What exactly is the oak treatment you mention and what about it invokes your wrath?
Secondly, white label Giacosa bottles can be absolutely marvellous and while the other producers you mention can be quite good to very good, none of them consistently hit the highs that Giacosa achieves. Admittedly, you might just be misinformed on that last issue, or perhaps you’re more into power than finesse? At the end of the day that would just be a stylistic preference rather than a qualitative one.

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Curious, really? And wrath, where?

By “oak treatment” I mean the barrique aging that Felsina (and not a few other chianti makers) use for their Riserva wines, but not for their normales. Obviously. Or as they say in the middle schools, duh.

As to your other query, it’s certainly a stylistic preference of mine re Giacosa vs the uber-traditionalists, but certainly not just a stylistic preference. Though I don’t admit to knowing precisely what you mean by “qualitative”, you seem to be asserting some objective standard by which one wine might be preferred over another. What an odd notion, charmingly threading the needle between naiveté and arrogance. Cheers for making me chuckle!

And please accept my gratitude for your gracious admission that I may be misinformed. [cheers.gif]

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Then let’s just say that your opinion re: Giacosa is in the decided minority and leave it at that, Richard.

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I’m happy to be among the decided minority, Bob. I won’t even ask you for a census on the subject, or suggest some anxious need to see your opinion counted among a comforting majority.

And while it’s certainly your prerogative to “just say” and “leave it at that” - though please know I’d be much obliged for your insights - you seem to be suggesting rather that I do so.

[rofl.gif]

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sigh. I worded things the way I did, because the way you formulated your stance with regards to Bruno Giacosa’s wines leaves it unclear whether that is mostly your own rather than derived from others. If you choose to interpret my reply like you do above, then so be it. It does however, not make me feel like answering any of your queries.

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Oh, boo-boo-boo-bullshit!

If I’d said anything of the kind you’d have drawn circles around it and festooned it with blinking lights. I said two bottles showed poorly the other night. I said I’ve never been wowed by Giacosa. I said I prefer certain other producers.

Man, it’s like you want me to apologize for your failure to comprehend. I have to attend a gathering of reasonable folks right about now, but I’ll return later to see those portions of my comments you suggest weren’t limited to the bounds of my personal opinion.

For example, that time I claimed to speak for the majority… that was me, right?

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Actually, my statement really stood on it’s own.

However, being the great guy that I am (and with the caveat that I don’t know your geographic location, which may negate any value to my offer to follow), I am more than willing to take any of your current inventory of Giacosa off your hands, and given that I have ample stocks of both B & G Mascarello in my cellar, as well as Giuseppe Rinaldi, I think I have assets you would appreciate “in kind”.

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Oh, and sorry, Tom Wills, for the thread drift - I do like Felsina as a general rule, but it’s so seldom that I see someone diss Giacosa that I felt the need to comment on it.

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The dissing of Giacosa is not inappropriate.It is an overhyped,insipid,thin little wine.Don’t pay any attention to those wine snobs,Richard…especially Signore Hughes.

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You cut me to the quick, Wild Bill - I was willing to take the crap off his hands and replace it with decent shtuff like the '98, '99 or 2001 Monprivato. That kind of humanitarian gesture gets you nominated for a medal in some places [cheers.gif] .

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like maybe in the hind parts… champagne.gif

[drinkers.gif]

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Bob, If you are in the Bay Area I’d be happy to trade some of my Giacosa for some of your Monprivato. It’s not that I don’t like the former, I just much prefer the latter. Please pm me.

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Arif, I’m on the “right” coast, and as such am a “geographically undesirable” trading partner for you.