(FLORENCE, DEC. 29, 2010): I drank two beautiful Chianti Classicos today in Tuscany, and it reminded me that the appellation continues to be undervalued in the world of Italian wines – good thing for those who love Sangiovese-based reds since most Brunellos are expensive.
For lunch, I drank a 2006 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio at 23 Lungarno restaurant in Florence with a beautiful hamburger and I was loving it. There was such freshness and precision to the wine with a dark chocolate, mineral, berry and cherry character. It went on and on. This was a wine of clarity and finesse, yet power and length. I gave it 95 points. It was in The Wine Spectator’s Top 10 wines of 2009 and certainly deserved it.
I came back from a day in Florence with my kids and ate some roasted chicken with a green salad for dinner, and I pulled a bottle of 1999 La Massa Gorgio Primo Chianti Classico. It was a opulent wine with plum and berry character and hints of minerals. This is a full-bodied wine with velvety tannins and pretty fruit on the finish. I gave it 93 points. The 1999s are finally losing some of their hard tannins.
Anyway, the lesson of today is to believe in the top producers of Chianti Classico. If you are into Sangiovese-based reds, there are plenty of wonderful wines out there.
My nephew, Chase Rolls, is here for a week, and he was surprised by the quality of today’s wines. “I always thought Chianti Classico was second rate,” he said. He has some things to learn from his uncle.
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