2019 Anteprima Toscana Chianti
Anteprima Preface
Anteprima Toscana is a weeklong event allowing journalist and wine buyers to preview the wines of virtually of all Tuscany in organized tastings. I find the tastings invaluable, not only because you get to tate like wines side by side, but also because it would otherwise be impossible to taste this broady.
Having said that, these types of broad tastings have their limitations. I applaud my fellow tasters who endeavor to taste very wine on offer. I do not and frankly cannot. The Chianti Classico tasting this year featured some 475 wines, which even if spread out over the two full days would mean that I would spend approximately 2 minutes with each wine. That of course is a generous estimation not allowing for lunch, bathroom breaks, and waiting for the wines to be poured. I already have enough doubts about the efficacy of this format; though can think of none better, that I do not need to further reduce their utility by claiming to perform heroic feats of strength!
I would rather focus my energies on wines that warrant the effort, and devote a bit more time to each of those wines. Which is not to say that the wines I did not taste aren’t worth the effort, but rather simply means that out of either ignorance of understanding I have chosen other wines as being more pertinent to my audience and me.
After having said all that allow me to add one further caveat. Wine tasting is a very personal and imperfect game; ever more so when one spends only 5 minutes with a glass of wine. What follows are my impressions of those moments, snapshots with each wine and while I have confidence in my impressions of each of those glasses of wine, they are far from the complete picture. What I will say is that the wines that were truly impressive tend to remain truly impressive. They are the most complete wines, and in some but far from all, the most impressive in mass and scale, though I generally do not value mass and scale that much but in a comparative tasting these wines tend to stick out and let's face it, are generally very popular.
Wines that I have scored in the middle of my range, roughly from 85-90 points might go up and down a few points in subsequent tastings, but lack something special that the wines over 90 points offer. Wines that I scored under 85pts generally remain under 85 points due to an issue such as dilution, structural problems, lack of complexity, or observable defects. Below is my rating scale to help clarify my reviews.
96-100 A wine that expresses the maximum varietal expression from one of the great terroirs of the world at its peak. I wine
90-95 A wine that expresses the maximum varietal character and terroir. A wine I want to buy
87-89 A wine that expresses its varietal character well with the influence of terroir obvious. A wine I want to drink.
84-86 A wine that is a good example of its kind, but may lack complexity or ideal balance. A wine that I would drink
80-83 A wine that is correct and pleasant if undistinguished. I might prefer a beer.
Under 80 - generally undistinguished or suffering from some defect.
Now on the wines.
The second day of Anteprima Toscana this year as usual was Anteprima Chianti. While many wine geeks tend to limit their explorations within the greater Chianti region to the Classico zone, there are terrific wines to be found in Chianti and the other surrounding zones, particularly Colli Fiorentini and Senesi where the borders between the regions are political boundaries.
Also of note of course is the Chianti Rufina zone which probably has the highest percentage of excellent producers of all of Chianti’s production zones. It’s very difficult to generalize about the subregions based on the wines of a producer or two, and during this event I did limit myself to the top producers for expediency's sake. Perhaps this was a mistake, but I had these few producers I wanted to catch up with and feel that they are at the very least representative of their appellations.
The standouts of the tastings were:
The Riservas from La Querce are superb examples of Chianti Riserva and consistently so.
Malenchini is also producing terrific wines with their 2016 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini being a knockout and absolute benchmark for the type.
Fattorie Parri produces just wonderfully classic wines, silky Chianti and earthy, powerful Riservas.
Rufina has more producers to recommend than the other subregions and its worth noting the differences between them
Sensi Vagante - a vegan Chianti Superior co -fermented with 10% white varieties is the most joyous, carefree, and fun bottle of Chianti I can recall ever having. To be enjoyed in its youth while the perfumes of the white varieties are still fragrant, it’s the perfect summer time red.
Dianella is my benchmark for Chianti and Chianti Riserva, elegant, delicate, and finely textured wines that are worth searching out.
Colognolo - I love the Riserva del Don, a powerful, earthy, traditional style of Rufina.
Frascole - Tru high altitude style,tense and vibrant and the Riserva is one of the top wines of almost any vintage in which it is produced.
Marchese Gondi - Old school and earthy with a certain rusticity to them but the Riserva Villa Gondi is better than any Chianti that has Cabernet in the assemblaggio should be, much better, it’s a stunner.
Selvapiana - I am embarrassed but due to technical difficulties it doesn't seem as though my notes for the new releases from Selvapiana made it through to the cloud. While I can offer no notes in support of my recommendations, I am confident that the wines remains among the top wines of Rufina and should always be worth taking a lok!
Wines tasted and reviewed:
Conte Guicciardini
2017 Conte Guicciardini Chianti le Terre
Wiry spicy nose, lots of faintly ripe red fruit, quite floral, a faint hint of sweetness on the palate balances out the bright acids here, it's an easy drinking fruity example but sticky on the palate which does add length but this lacks refreshment, the high acidity notwithstanding. 85pts
2016 Conte Guicciardini Chianti Colli Fiorentini il Cortile
This is a notable step up still floral and perhaps lacking some intensity but true to type, dry, even a bit austere with fruit that is anchored by astringent lingonberry and raspberry flavors with flashes of ripe blackberry. Not a big or flashy wine but a moderately fruity moderately traditional example. 87pts
2015 Conte Guicciardini Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva Castello di Poppiano
Floral, dried apple, soil, and old barrel aromas greet the nose. Another step up, here there is a tiny bit more flesh with deeper fruit and soil flavors that show both tart berry and apple notes. Pretty acid driven with lots of firm, little tannins lending support. Bracing and fairly long. Comes off as quite traditional. 89pts
Fattoria San Michele a Torri
2016 Fattoria San Michele a Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini San Michele a Torri
Reticent on the nose with hints of rose, chestnut, and jammy red fruits. Fruity. But dry, and fairly tannic for such a young base wine, though lovely depth and richness. If it wasn't for the tannins this would be terrific today but it feels like it needs another six months in bottle. Violets, fine length, lots of bang for the buck. A gutsy little wine. 87pts
2015 Fattoria San Michele a Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva San Giovanni Novantasetta
Smells of old wood leather, dried fruit, balsamic dried pine cones, elegant. A fairly glycerine rich wine, a touch drying on the palate with flavors that lean towards nutty and evolved already.The finish is spicy and ong, very traditional, a little strict and austere with subtle, complex, evolved flavors, fairly tannic as well but here the time may not be kind to the fruit 86pts
La Querce
2016 La Querce Chianti Colli Fiorentini Sorrettole
Dried flowers, clay soil, spice and dried wood greets the nose. This lovely in the mouth, moderately rich, bright, smooth and well balanced with flavors that hint at the jammy edges of ripe berry fruit, strawberry and mulberry and some orchard fruits. Tannins here are so ripe and this really resounds on the palate with that bright, lively, ripe red fruits typical of Sangiovese. good length, everything in place, love this style, clean traditional. 92pts
2016 La Querce Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva La Torretta
Very elegant and reserved on the nose with subtle aromas of dark fruit, oily herbs leaning towards rosemary and some toasted nutty nuances. On the palate this is very finely textured, silky smooth, totally integrated with layered flavors that are clear and distinct if not overpowering though they do linger on the long finish with tons of almost honey tinged red fruit. Just elegance and class in the bottle this should age very well with its impeccable balance. 93pts
Lanciola
2016 Lanciola Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Smokey and dark on the nose, aggressively tarry. Surprisingly smooth and supple on entry, here too is a touch of sweetness which does a nice job of balancing the acidity but this leaves the palate quickly, leading to a modest, tart, and slight coarse finish. In the end some sweet tartness does linger adhered to the palate. 84pts
2015 Lanciola Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
Floral, citrus, blood and blackberry fruit come together on the attractive and complex nose, smooth and polished, though here to there's a touch of stickiness that lends a clumsy edge to the palate which does deliver plenty of tart red fruit. A wine of texture, pleasantly dry and austere through the finish though retaining a sIghtly of nutty sweetness through the finale. 86pts
Malenchini
2016 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Lots of forest floor and mushroom on the nose, which is fairly complex with some anise spice and wild strawberry fruit nuance. Classic on the palate bright, vivid in the mouth with plenty of juicy red berry fruit,. Intense clean, and certainly sufficiently structured very complete if perhaps a touch four square. Lovely traditional expression of Chianti stony through the moderately long finish Very long and frankly quite powerful. 92pts
2016 Malenchini Chianti Superiore
Citrussy aromas, dried citrus, thyme, dried herbs. Complex and intense on the nose with hints of violet and iodine. Round supple and generous this delivers richness with a Iightness on the palate. Tons of flavor really packs a punch with fruit that just continues to unfurl over the long finish.There's so much to like here its archetypal Chianti that finished with bright acids and tough little tannins all comfortably covered by pure yet dry fruit . 93pts
2015 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
Leaves and some roasted nuts greet the nose followed by smoky old barrel and gamy meaty notes. This is elegant though perhaps a touch loose following the previous wine. Pleasant with a refined character of tart red fruit on the palate a fair amount of grip through the moderately long finish. Juicy lingering, barely red fruit is gentle and very finely textured and exceptionally well balanced. An understated success though I’m not sure there’s much upside here. 90pts
Castello del Trebbio
2017 Castello del Trebbio Chianti Superior Castello Trebbio
Very dried floral, with red cherry and lemon zest aromas layered underneath. Light textured fruity, very Sangiovese with lots of red cherry fruit that is tart and bright and palate cleansing. Clean, fresh fruity style that perfect for simply hearty fare. 85pts
2015 Castello del Trebbio Chianti Rufina riserva Lastricato
Classic bloody aromas on the nose, which is also quite spicy with clay base notes and lots of waxy, red, wild berry fruit. Supple, earthy, well knit Chianti that delivers rather classic ripe Sangiovese fruit on an elegant frame that has all the edges eased off. Clean and fresh through the finish where the dry austere tannins take the upper hand but not aggressively so. Very pleasant. 87pts
Colognole
2017 Colognole Chianti Sinopie
Spicy on the nose and mouth watering with wild berry fruit, a bit balsamic and gamy as well. A beautiful light, easy going Chianti, can be chilled for the summer, it’s all red berry fruit and austerity combined in a playful package. Long with great intensity to the fruit. And aspicy finale. Classic Chianti. 88pts
2015 Colognole Chianti Rufina Colognole
Dried lime, dried bay leaf, white pepper and red cherry greet the nose. Absolutely seductively textured, this glides across the palate, you can sense the small tight grained tannins on the palate but they are encapsulated in a gently glycerine rich ball of tart, red berry fruit through the palate and onto the moderately long finish where the structure breaks through cleaning the palate. A finish more of structure than of fruit, elegant and fine. 91pts
2015 Colognole Chianti Rufina Riserva del don
Grapefruit, wild cherry, beef jerky and white pepper aromas on the nose. Like the previous wine, this presents a sleek voluptuousness in the mouth with lovely weight and richness.There's a greater tannc impression and dark, serious and soil driven flavors with great depth and nuance. Wow this is finely textured, with fine purity and depth to the fruit,. Fne ripe tannins, gentle red fruit that doesn't obscure the soil base note. Very firm and edgy but exquisitely balanced. Gains inner mouth perfumes of dried flowers and herbs with air. Such clarity. 94pts
Lavacchio
2017 Lavacchio Puro senza sulfite
Very interesting in that it shows evolution and could easily be mistaken for a wine that has seen botte with a roasted chestnut sweetness here. In the mouth one finds an dd blend of sweet fruity freshness and that chestnutty sweetness of the nose. midpalate flavors veer towards jammy fruit then this finishes quickly with clay mineral notes. 83pts
2015 Lavacchio Puro Riserva
Mushroomy old wood, a little wood spice, gently floral and herbaceous on the nose and seemingly less affected by oxidation. Lovely in the mouth with a fine blend of fresh red cherry fruit and fine grained tannins turning deliciously raspberry fruited with bright acids and fine grained if more important tannins. Finishing juicy with a touch of dried mushroom lending complexity on the backend with decent length. Quite an impact to the fruit, but fine soil tones remain obvious as well. The tannins win out a bit on the backend, might be best enjoyed early in its life. 88pts
2016 Lavacchio Cedro Chianti Rufina
A bit of evolution greets the nose, along with dried citron and red cherry fruit. Fluid and light, even delicate in the mouth. A very gentle fruit driven example that show good structural framework and juicy acids. The fruit is sufficient to cover the tannins through the modest finish. Classic Rufina with a light touch and built on freshness. 87pts
2015 Lavacchio Cedro Chianti Rufina Riserva
Ths really shows off the ripeness of the vintage on the nose with deep notes of black currant, blackberry, dried tomato and mint, all supported by some wood spice. It's very ripe on the palate as well lending a weightiness to that feels a bit over extracted and gloopy. Chewy and drying this stumbles across the palate. Clumsy, chewy and very dry. 82pts
2011 Lavacchio Ludie
Cedar, mushroom, and dried black fruit on the nose. In the mouth this is smooth, polished supple, and fresher than the nose suggests but this too feel over extracted, chewy and dry. There's fine depth to the fruit but it's covered by rather significant tannins. Black tea, ink, and black fruit syrup emerge on the moderately long finish. Trying very hard, time will tell but today this does not feel balanced. 83pts
Frascole
2016 Frascole Chianti Rufina
Intensely aromatic full of wild strawberry, kirsch, lemon, and thyme; gorgeously aromatic and pure,. Rich and round yet racy in the mouth with a slightly relaxed feel. Open and distinct with very fine grained tannins. Succulent, totally transparent, with decent length, a very pure vibrant expression. 89pts
2015 Frascole Chianti Rufina Riserva
Like walking through a field of wildflowers; shows a very distinctive spicy and full of red almost curranty fruit nose. There's a richness to this that comes without weight, totally transparent, silky and with exceptional balance. Great depth here yet at the same time there is a delicacy to the wine, texture, flavors, and structure that is stunning. Such a detailed wine finely rendered with power through the long juicy finish. Doesn’t get much better than this. 95pts
Frescobaldi
2015 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Riserva Nipozzano
Leathery on the nose, with a touch of cigarette smoke, and hints of blackberry jam. On the palate this is not what you expect from the nose; lighter, fairly elegant, not lacking weight but with little density. Shows lovely fruit on the palate but there are wood tannins that emerge on the finish. Needs age, should integrate but today this is a bit too woody. The base wine here is excellent and leaks out past the wood on the finale Time should be kind 88pts
2015 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Riserva Vecchie viti
Old wood, tobacco, soil and lemon greet the nose laid over small berry, red curranty fruit,. A bit weightier on the palate, but seamless with riper sweeter tannins. The fruit here comes off as redder and fresher, with great persistence on the finish which shows great fruit tannins supporting the tart, lacy cranberry toned fruit. Very delicate and compete with juicy red fruit and impressive persistence. 91pts.
Marchese Gondi
2016 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina San Giuliano
Clay and old barn greet the nose with an undercurrent of sweetness accentuating the red cherry fruit that's wrapped in fine tobacco and Iris shadings. In the mouth the fruit comes of as slightly sweet as well, though with plenty of acid keeping this lively. Tannins are well measured, lending the finish a brisk firmness, though the faint echo of sweet red fruit wins out in the end. Just a little chunky. 85pts
2015 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina Riserva Pian dei Sorbo
Very floral nose with aromas of rose petals and iris gently supported by vague notions of green tomato and spicy cherry fruit. Exhibits lovely impact in the mouth. Just a nice layer of dry extract adding some weight and impact on the palate. Definitely old school, the acids are bright lending this an underlying seashell minerality and bloody salinity through the finish. Brilliantly old school, with some dried tomato fruit on the palate as well, Good length and depth, finely done. 91pts
2013 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina Riserva Villa Bossi
Tight on the nose, with mineral aspects and some ash followed by black currant laced black cherry fruit,. OK, I don't want to like Cabernet in my chianti but this is fabulous stuff, again old school, and you can see the Cabernet fruit but this wine is so well knit, juicy, long and gorgeous on the palate and through the long important finish. Elegant, packed with fruit, seamless, rich yet bright so juicy and transparent. 93pts
Villa Travignoli
2016 Villa Travignoli Chianti Rufina Villa Travignoli
Soil driven nose shows white floral aromas, with a sweet, almost jammy undercurrent of very ripe fruit. Fruity in the mouth with very gentle tannins and fine juicy acidity,. Easy going with decent length and a finish that shows lots of minerality almost a hint of salinity. Very soil driven throughout. It's a very interesting juxtaposition. Good balance as well a sneaky length. 87pts
2015 Villa Travignoli Chianti Rufina Riserva Tegolaia
Leathery early aromas are followed by notes of currant fruit, cedary oak and dried pork. Very smooth and focused in the mouth with an attractive blend of cherry, black currant and vanilla, oak spice flavors. Undeniably attractive, I can't help but like this, but it is a bit anonymous. Full of black fruit highlights. More super Tuscan than Chianti but attractive for what it is. 90pts
Fattorie Parri
2016 Fattorie Parri Chianti Montespertoli Corfecciano Urbana
There's 5% cab here but you wouldn’t know it from the nose which shows dark fruit all mulberry toned with base notes of candied citrus peels and moist tobacco., and a floral top note. Lovely texture, fluid but not loose delivering bright yet earthy cherry fruit on the palate framed with a vague herbal/ green citrus peel candied note. There's a sweetness here from the fruit but the wine feels bracingly dry. Moderately large scaled for Chianti ,you can feel the sun in the glass here and this end with a firm fist of silky tannins. Pretty powerful. 89pts
2013 Fattorie Parri Chianti Montespertoli Riserva Corfecciano Urbana
Opening with a lot of blackberry and leather, this also shows a noticeable wood impact, with dark pencil lead aromas. Smooth, rich, racy even for a wine of this size, there's a lot to like here as it deftly balances modern feel with traditionally earthy, leather framed spiced cherry flavors. The fruit really powers through on the finish showing off wonderful spice tones, fine leather inner mouth perfumes and a core of barely chewy and persistent candied cherry fruit. Tannic and just a bit chewy this needs time but is impressive. 92pts
Fattoria Faltognano
2016 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Montalbano
Fresh yet sweet on the nose with lots of old spice cabinet notes, amarena cherry, and dandelion aromas. Lovely, bright and fresh in the mouth, not complicated but clean and pure built on fruit with hints of spices and dried herbs lending a complicating note. A touch of blood and Chamomile offer persistent inner mouth perfumes with violet pastille emerging on the backend, a very aromatic Chianti. 88pts
2015 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Montalbano Riserva
Leather glove, slight gamy, a touch of oak, but here too on finds a rather distinctly and elegantly aromatic wine.Very similar to the chianti in that this shows a delicate touch, more red fruited, red cherry, earth, mossy undertones, both wines show supportive but unobtrusive acids, and lovely finesse, which shows here particularly on the finish. This is slightly different than the Chianti Montalbano but I’m not sure it’s notable better than the previous wine. 88pts
Sensi
2017 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Campoluce
Leafy, sweetly floral and very high toned on the nose, with strong lemon verbena aromas. A powerful yet light wine, packed with fruit, perhaps showing the 5% Syrah with some inky spice note. Very smooth, almost feels a touch soft. Simply pure, fruity style but with structure, persistent fruit and firm tannins on the finish lending this just a touch of a chewy feel. Good for a wide audience . 85pts
2017 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Superiore Vagante
10% white varieties co-fermented
Wow this smells like a super fruity floral white wine, initially all lemon blossomy and sweet thyme herbal notes. Soft ,the white grapes seem to lower the acidity,. It's a lovely, fresh wine with inner mouth perfumes that really set it apart. There's plenty of delicat red fruit on the palate paired with this penetrating honeysuckle perfume making this flat out delicious. So gulpable, this is so much joy in the bottle. A killer red for the summer! Serve it with a gentle chill. I’m not sure how to score this since it’s an outlier in today’s world of Chianti but for sheer joy it’s 90pts.
Mannucci Droandi
2017 Mannucci Droandi Chianti Colli Aretini
Wild mountain herbs but with the sweetness of over-ripeness. That blows off a bit, though this remains very candied, with herb candied spice driven aromatics. Smooth and polished in the mouth with an old school, country wine character filled with tons of dark ripe fruit, chewy tannins, and palate staining inky herbal flavors. Tannic and chunky. 83pts
2016 Mannucci Droandi Chianti Colli Aretini Riserva
Much less ripe io the nose with a fresher presentation of herbs, grasses, and wildflowers. A bit austere in the mouth, tannic and dry, again another country wine though with fine flavors of dark cherry fruit, earth and herbs, but quite tannc and severe. A dry old style that could improve with age. 86pts
Giacomo Mori
2016 Giacomo Mori Chianti
A touch light on the nose featuring raspberry fruit a hint of tea and some dried grassy nuances. A touch of sweetness early on the palate followed by a bright, if simple raspberry and citrus fruited midpalate. Appropriate tannins leave this a touch austere in the modest finish, which shows a touch of bitterness. A touch too angular 83pts
2015 Giacomo Mori Chianti Riserva Castelrotto
Dark and inky on the nose, with fruit aromas framed by old wood with leathery dried- mushroom accents. A touch of sweetness lends this some roundness and flesh early on the palate, the fruit is dark, heavy, and rich but a touch monotonous though it does deliver a nice impact in the mouth with the structure and a whisper of heat forming a modest finish. Fruity styled but a bit cumbersome. 86pts
Bindi Sergardi
2017 Bindi Sergardi Chianti La Boncia
Very fragrant and pretty on the nose with clay soil, sour cherry, and cranberry fruit. Very light and easy on the palate, nicely rendered with light tannins supporting juicy, citrus edged, red berry fruit. Pure with just a touch of sweetness from the fruit flavors, chill and go. 87pts
2017 Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi Al Canapo.
Wow this is fragrant, high toned but more floral, with a sweeter red cherry fruit. Balsamic on entry with a fine layer of rounded fruit lending this a more supple feel. Still lots of fruit though framed more by herbal nuance and chalky soil than citrus. Lovely elegant finish, really nice effort blending purity and a sculpted, more modern styled wine. 88pts
2016 Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi Ciusum
A light nutty top note greets the nose followed by bay leaf and dark, cherry, jammy strawberry fruit. This is obviously more dense and tannic but there's a lightness to this, a gauzy elegance that pervades the wine. A delicate wine, subdued and restrained, a bit more rounded, yet easy going. A middle of the road expression that doesn't take any risks. 87pts
Poggio Bonelli
2017 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Villa Chigi
Simple nose delivers light fruit that is pretty with a floral top note. For a light, simple wine this offers a nice if gentle mouthful of pure, transparent fruit, barely red berry toned and leaning back towards aged flavors. It’s easy to like and refreshing. Juicy acids and light tannins make this easy to like but it is tannic enough to offer some pleasant mouth cleansing grab on the finish, just what it should be. 85pts
2017 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Colli Senesi Poggio Bonelli
Tobacco and clay greet the nose followed by some spicy nuances,and a touch of lead pencil. Delicate on entry, lacy in the mouth. Still tannic but there's no real weight here, drinkable, a more structured and deeper wine with dark cherry fruit, but there's an inherent velvetiness to this wine. The tannins are finely ripe, supportive but not intrusive, just a touch chewy, lovely soil tones emerge on the rather long finish along with a lingering note of fruit sweetness. 89pts
Mormoraia
2016 Mormoraia Haurio Chianti Colli Senesi
A bit gamy on the nose with a touch of black spice framing dark berry fruit. Bright on entry then turning very fruity with a touch of sweetness lending weight to the palate. A rich, round style, structured but smooth, the finish is modest, and a touch drying. 84pts
2015 Mormoraia Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva Trochus
Grapefruit, spicy green fruits, with lots of floral aromas on the nose. This too is a bit rounded with some sweetness lending weight and roundness to the palate. There’s plenty of acidity to keep it fresh with some notably aggressive tannins leaving a dry but important styled wine impression. Sleek, rather super Tuscan styled, with dark and somewhat anonymous fruit that sticks to the palate. 85pts
Dianella
2017 Dianella Chianti.
Lovely citrus and fig framed core of smoky paprika laced cherry fruit. Smells like an exotic kitchen.Wow this delivers a wallop of cherry fruit on the palate, lacking the complexity of the nose but with a fine underlay of sandy soil tones. Gently chewy but with plenty of flesh covering the structure, but not enough to be flashy in the mouth. Lots of citrus, slight fig, and cherry fruit linger on the finish. Just a joyous rich mouthful of Sangiovese, with a touch of tobacco lending complexity through the midpalate. 90pts
2015 Dianella Chianti Riserva
This is all bricks, dried fruit, dried herbs, and black mineral notes. Supple and graceful, just a fine elegant and feminine expression of Sangiovese that gains fullness on the midpalate, along with stony mineral accents. Tannins are fine but abundant promising a long life and the finish shows fine focus and length. Classic flavors, texture and balance; juicy and long with a nutty aspect to the dark cherry fruit of the finale, super stuff. 91pts
Anteprima Toscana is a weeklong event allowing journalist and wine buyers to preview the wines of virtually of all Tuscany in organized tastings. I find the tastings invaluable, not only because you get to tate like wines side by side, but also because it would otherwise be impossible to taste this broady.
Having said that, these types of broad tastings have their limitations. I applaud my fellow tasters who endeavor to taste very wine on offer. I do not and frankly cannot. The Chianti Classico tasting this year featured some 475 wines, which even if spread out over the two full days would mean that I would spend approximately 2 minutes with each wine. That of course is a generous estimation not allowing for lunch, bathroom breaks, and waiting for the wines to be poured. I already have enough doubts about the efficacy of this format; though can think of none better, that I do not need to further reduce their utility by claiming to perform heroic feats of strength!
I would rather focus my energies on wines that warrant the effort, and devote a bit more time to each of those wines. Which is not to say that the wines I did not taste aren’t worth the effort, but rather simply means that out of either ignorance of understanding I have chosen other wines as being more pertinent to my audience and me.
After having said all that allow me to add one further caveat. Wine tasting is a very personal and imperfect game; ever more so when one spends only 5 minutes with a glass of wine. What follows are my impressions of those moments, snapshots with each wine and while I have confidence in my impressions of each of those glasses of wine, they are far from the complete picture. What I will say is that the wines that were truly impressive tend to remain truly impressive. They are the most complete wines, and in some but far from all, the most impressive in mass and scale, though I generally do not value mass and scale that much but in a comparative tasting these wines tend to stick out and let's face it, are generally very popular.
Wines that I have scored in the middle of my range, roughly from 85-90 points might go up and down a few points in subsequent tastings, but lack something special that the wines over 90 points offer. Wines that I scored under 85pts generally remain under 85 points due to an issue such as dilution, structural problems, lack of complexity, or observable defects. Below is my rating scale to help clarify my reviews.
96-100 A wine that expresses the maximum varietal expression from one of the great terroirs of the world at its peak. I wine
90-95 A wine that expresses the maximum varietal character and terroir. A wine I want to buy
87-89 A wine that expresses its varietal character well with the influence of terroir obvious. A wine I want to drink.
84-86 A wine that is a good example of its kind, but may lack complexity or ideal balance. A wine that I would drink
80-83 A wine that is correct and pleasant if undistinguished. I might prefer a beer.
Under 80 - generally undistinguished or suffering from some defect.
Now on the wines.
The second day of Anteprima Toscana this year as usual was Anteprima Chianti. While many wine geeks tend to limit their explorations within the greater Chianti region to the Classico zone, there are terrific wines to be found in Chianti and the other surrounding zones, particularly Colli Fiorentini and Senesi where the borders between the regions are political boundaries.
Also of note of course is the Chianti Rufina zone which probably has the highest percentage of excellent producers of all of Chianti’s production zones. It’s very difficult to generalize about the subregions based on the wines of a producer or two, and during this event I did limit myself to the top producers for expediency's sake. Perhaps this was a mistake, but I had these few producers I wanted to catch up with and feel that they are at the very least representative of their appellations.
The standouts of the tastings were:
The Riservas from La Querce are superb examples of Chianti Riserva and consistently so.
Malenchini is also producing terrific wines with their 2016 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini being a knockout and absolute benchmark for the type.
Fattorie Parri produces just wonderfully classic wines, silky Chianti and earthy, powerful Riservas.
Rufina has more producers to recommend than the other subregions and its worth noting the differences between them
Sensi Vagante - a vegan Chianti Superior co -fermented with 10% white varieties is the most joyous, carefree, and fun bottle of Chianti I can recall ever having. To be enjoyed in its youth while the perfumes of the white varieties are still fragrant, it’s the perfect summer time red.
Dianella is my benchmark for Chianti and Chianti Riserva, elegant, delicate, and finely textured wines that are worth searching out.
Colognolo - I love the Riserva del Don, a powerful, earthy, traditional style of Rufina.
Frascole - Tru high altitude style,tense and vibrant and the Riserva is one of the top wines of almost any vintage in which it is produced.
Marchese Gondi - Old school and earthy with a certain rusticity to them but the Riserva Villa Gondi is better than any Chianti that has Cabernet in the assemblaggio should be, much better, it’s a stunner.
Selvapiana - I am embarrassed but due to technical difficulties it doesn't seem as though my notes for the new releases from Selvapiana made it through to the cloud. While I can offer no notes in support of my recommendations, I am confident that the wines remains among the top wines of Rufina and should always be worth taking a lok!
Wines tasted and reviewed:
Conte Guicciardini
2017 Conte Guicciardini Chianti le Terre
Wiry spicy nose, lots of faintly ripe red fruit, quite floral, a faint hint of sweetness on the palate balances out the bright acids here, it's an easy drinking fruity example but sticky on the palate which does add length but this lacks refreshment, the high acidity notwithstanding. 85pts
2016 Conte Guicciardini Chianti Colli Fiorentini il Cortile
This is a notable step up still floral and perhaps lacking some intensity but true to type, dry, even a bit austere with fruit that is anchored by astringent lingonberry and raspberry flavors with flashes of ripe blackberry. Not a big or flashy wine but a moderately fruity moderately traditional example. 87pts
2015 Conte Guicciardini Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva Castello di Poppiano
Floral, dried apple, soil, and old barrel aromas greet the nose. Another step up, here there is a tiny bit more flesh with deeper fruit and soil flavors that show both tart berry and apple notes. Pretty acid driven with lots of firm, little tannins lending support. Bracing and fairly long. Comes off as quite traditional. 89pts
Fattoria San Michele a Torri
2016 Fattoria San Michele a Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini San Michele a Torri
Reticent on the nose with hints of rose, chestnut, and jammy red fruits. Fruity. But dry, and fairly tannic for such a young base wine, though lovely depth and richness. If it wasn't for the tannins this would be terrific today but it feels like it needs another six months in bottle. Violets, fine length, lots of bang for the buck. A gutsy little wine. 87pts
2015 Fattoria San Michele a Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva San Giovanni Novantasetta
Smells of old wood leather, dried fruit, balsamic dried pine cones, elegant. A fairly glycerine rich wine, a touch drying on the palate with flavors that lean towards nutty and evolved already.The finish is spicy and ong, very traditional, a little strict and austere with subtle, complex, evolved flavors, fairly tannic as well but here the time may not be kind to the fruit 86pts
La Querce
2016 La Querce Chianti Colli Fiorentini Sorrettole
Dried flowers, clay soil, spice and dried wood greets the nose. This lovely in the mouth, moderately rich, bright, smooth and well balanced with flavors that hint at the jammy edges of ripe berry fruit, strawberry and mulberry and some orchard fruits. Tannins here are so ripe and this really resounds on the palate with that bright, lively, ripe red fruits typical of Sangiovese. good length, everything in place, love this style, clean traditional. 92pts
2016 La Querce Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva La Torretta
Very elegant and reserved on the nose with subtle aromas of dark fruit, oily herbs leaning towards rosemary and some toasted nutty nuances. On the palate this is very finely textured, silky smooth, totally integrated with layered flavors that are clear and distinct if not overpowering though they do linger on the long finish with tons of almost honey tinged red fruit. Just elegance and class in the bottle this should age very well with its impeccable balance. 93pts
Lanciola
2016 Lanciola Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Smokey and dark on the nose, aggressively tarry. Surprisingly smooth and supple on entry, here too is a touch of sweetness which does a nice job of balancing the acidity but this leaves the palate quickly, leading to a modest, tart, and slight coarse finish. In the end some sweet tartness does linger adhered to the palate. 84pts
2015 Lanciola Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
Floral, citrus, blood and blackberry fruit come together on the attractive and complex nose, smooth and polished, though here to there's a touch of stickiness that lends a clumsy edge to the palate which does deliver plenty of tart red fruit. A wine of texture, pleasantly dry and austere through the finish though retaining a sIghtly of nutty sweetness through the finale. 86pts
Malenchini
2016 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Lots of forest floor and mushroom on the nose, which is fairly complex with some anise spice and wild strawberry fruit nuance. Classic on the palate bright, vivid in the mouth with plenty of juicy red berry fruit,. Intense clean, and certainly sufficiently structured very complete if perhaps a touch four square. Lovely traditional expression of Chianti stony through the moderately long finish Very long and frankly quite powerful. 92pts
2016 Malenchini Chianti Superiore
Citrussy aromas, dried citrus, thyme, dried herbs. Complex and intense on the nose with hints of violet and iodine. Round supple and generous this delivers richness with a Iightness on the palate. Tons of flavor really packs a punch with fruit that just continues to unfurl over the long finish.There's so much to like here its archetypal Chianti that finished with bright acids and tough little tannins all comfortably covered by pure yet dry fruit . 93pts
2015 Malenchini Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva
Leaves and some roasted nuts greet the nose followed by smoky old barrel and gamy meaty notes. This is elegant though perhaps a touch loose following the previous wine. Pleasant with a refined character of tart red fruit on the palate a fair amount of grip through the moderately long finish. Juicy lingering, barely red fruit is gentle and very finely textured and exceptionally well balanced. An understated success though I’m not sure there’s much upside here. 90pts
Castello del Trebbio
2017 Castello del Trebbio Chianti Superior Castello Trebbio
Very dried floral, with red cherry and lemon zest aromas layered underneath. Light textured fruity, very Sangiovese with lots of red cherry fruit that is tart and bright and palate cleansing. Clean, fresh fruity style that perfect for simply hearty fare. 85pts
2015 Castello del Trebbio Chianti Rufina riserva Lastricato
Classic bloody aromas on the nose, which is also quite spicy with clay base notes and lots of waxy, red, wild berry fruit. Supple, earthy, well knit Chianti that delivers rather classic ripe Sangiovese fruit on an elegant frame that has all the edges eased off. Clean and fresh through the finish where the dry austere tannins take the upper hand but not aggressively so. Very pleasant. 87pts
Colognole
2017 Colognole Chianti Sinopie
Spicy on the nose and mouth watering with wild berry fruit, a bit balsamic and gamy as well. A beautiful light, easy going Chianti, can be chilled for the summer, it’s all red berry fruit and austerity combined in a playful package. Long with great intensity to the fruit. And aspicy finale. Classic Chianti. 88pts
2015 Colognole Chianti Rufina Colognole
Dried lime, dried bay leaf, white pepper and red cherry greet the nose. Absolutely seductively textured, this glides across the palate, you can sense the small tight grained tannins on the palate but they are encapsulated in a gently glycerine rich ball of tart, red berry fruit through the palate and onto the moderately long finish where the structure breaks through cleaning the palate. A finish more of structure than of fruit, elegant and fine. 91pts
2015 Colognole Chianti Rufina Riserva del don
Grapefruit, wild cherry, beef jerky and white pepper aromas on the nose. Like the previous wine, this presents a sleek voluptuousness in the mouth with lovely weight and richness.There's a greater tannc impression and dark, serious and soil driven flavors with great depth and nuance. Wow this is finely textured, with fine purity and depth to the fruit,. Fne ripe tannins, gentle red fruit that doesn't obscure the soil base note. Very firm and edgy but exquisitely balanced. Gains inner mouth perfumes of dried flowers and herbs with air. Such clarity. 94pts
Lavacchio
2017 Lavacchio Puro senza sulfite
Very interesting in that it shows evolution and could easily be mistaken for a wine that has seen botte with a roasted chestnut sweetness here. In the mouth one finds an dd blend of sweet fruity freshness and that chestnutty sweetness of the nose. midpalate flavors veer towards jammy fruit then this finishes quickly with clay mineral notes. 83pts
2015 Lavacchio Puro Riserva
Mushroomy old wood, a little wood spice, gently floral and herbaceous on the nose and seemingly less affected by oxidation. Lovely in the mouth with a fine blend of fresh red cherry fruit and fine grained tannins turning deliciously raspberry fruited with bright acids and fine grained if more important tannins. Finishing juicy with a touch of dried mushroom lending complexity on the backend with decent length. Quite an impact to the fruit, but fine soil tones remain obvious as well. The tannins win out a bit on the backend, might be best enjoyed early in its life. 88pts
2016 Lavacchio Cedro Chianti Rufina
A bit of evolution greets the nose, along with dried citron and red cherry fruit. Fluid and light, even delicate in the mouth. A very gentle fruit driven example that show good structural framework and juicy acids. The fruit is sufficient to cover the tannins through the modest finish. Classic Rufina with a light touch and built on freshness. 87pts
2015 Lavacchio Cedro Chianti Rufina Riserva
Ths really shows off the ripeness of the vintage on the nose with deep notes of black currant, blackberry, dried tomato and mint, all supported by some wood spice. It's very ripe on the palate as well lending a weightiness to that feels a bit over extracted and gloopy. Chewy and drying this stumbles across the palate. Clumsy, chewy and very dry. 82pts
2011 Lavacchio Ludie
Cedar, mushroom, and dried black fruit on the nose. In the mouth this is smooth, polished supple, and fresher than the nose suggests but this too feel over extracted, chewy and dry. There's fine depth to the fruit but it's covered by rather significant tannins. Black tea, ink, and black fruit syrup emerge on the moderately long finish. Trying very hard, time will tell but today this does not feel balanced. 83pts
Frascole
2016 Frascole Chianti Rufina
Intensely aromatic full of wild strawberry, kirsch, lemon, and thyme; gorgeously aromatic and pure,. Rich and round yet racy in the mouth with a slightly relaxed feel. Open and distinct with very fine grained tannins. Succulent, totally transparent, with decent length, a very pure vibrant expression. 89pts
2015 Frascole Chianti Rufina Riserva
Like walking through a field of wildflowers; shows a very distinctive spicy and full of red almost curranty fruit nose. There's a richness to this that comes without weight, totally transparent, silky and with exceptional balance. Great depth here yet at the same time there is a delicacy to the wine, texture, flavors, and structure that is stunning. Such a detailed wine finely rendered with power through the long juicy finish. Doesn’t get much better than this. 95pts
Frescobaldi
2015 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Riserva Nipozzano
Leathery on the nose, with a touch of cigarette smoke, and hints of blackberry jam. On the palate this is not what you expect from the nose; lighter, fairly elegant, not lacking weight but with little density. Shows lovely fruit on the palate but there are wood tannins that emerge on the finish. Needs age, should integrate but today this is a bit too woody. The base wine here is excellent and leaks out past the wood on the finale Time should be kind 88pts
2015 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Riserva Vecchie viti
Old wood, tobacco, soil and lemon greet the nose laid over small berry, red curranty fruit,. A bit weightier on the palate, but seamless with riper sweeter tannins. The fruit here comes off as redder and fresher, with great persistence on the finish which shows great fruit tannins supporting the tart, lacy cranberry toned fruit. Very delicate and compete with juicy red fruit and impressive persistence. 91pts.
Marchese Gondi
2016 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina San Giuliano
Clay and old barn greet the nose with an undercurrent of sweetness accentuating the red cherry fruit that's wrapped in fine tobacco and Iris shadings. In the mouth the fruit comes of as slightly sweet as well, though with plenty of acid keeping this lively. Tannins are well measured, lending the finish a brisk firmness, though the faint echo of sweet red fruit wins out in the end. Just a little chunky. 85pts
2015 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina Riserva Pian dei Sorbo
Very floral nose with aromas of rose petals and iris gently supported by vague notions of green tomato and spicy cherry fruit. Exhibits lovely impact in the mouth. Just a nice layer of dry extract adding some weight and impact on the palate. Definitely old school, the acids are bright lending this an underlying seashell minerality and bloody salinity through the finish. Brilliantly old school, with some dried tomato fruit on the palate as well, Good length and depth, finely done. 91pts
2013 Marchese Gondi Chianti Rufina Riserva Villa Bossi
Tight on the nose, with mineral aspects and some ash followed by black currant laced black cherry fruit,. OK, I don't want to like Cabernet in my chianti but this is fabulous stuff, again old school, and you can see the Cabernet fruit but this wine is so well knit, juicy, long and gorgeous on the palate and through the long important finish. Elegant, packed with fruit, seamless, rich yet bright so juicy and transparent. 93pts
Villa Travignoli
2016 Villa Travignoli Chianti Rufina Villa Travignoli
Soil driven nose shows white floral aromas, with a sweet, almost jammy undercurrent of very ripe fruit. Fruity in the mouth with very gentle tannins and fine juicy acidity,. Easy going with decent length and a finish that shows lots of minerality almost a hint of salinity. Very soil driven throughout. It's a very interesting juxtaposition. Good balance as well a sneaky length. 87pts
2015 Villa Travignoli Chianti Rufina Riserva Tegolaia
Leathery early aromas are followed by notes of currant fruit, cedary oak and dried pork. Very smooth and focused in the mouth with an attractive blend of cherry, black currant and vanilla, oak spice flavors. Undeniably attractive, I can't help but like this, but it is a bit anonymous. Full of black fruit highlights. More super Tuscan than Chianti but attractive for what it is. 90pts
Fattorie Parri
2016 Fattorie Parri Chianti Montespertoli Corfecciano Urbana
There's 5% cab here but you wouldn’t know it from the nose which shows dark fruit all mulberry toned with base notes of candied citrus peels and moist tobacco., and a floral top note. Lovely texture, fluid but not loose delivering bright yet earthy cherry fruit on the palate framed with a vague herbal/ green citrus peel candied note. There's a sweetness here from the fruit but the wine feels bracingly dry. Moderately large scaled for Chianti ,you can feel the sun in the glass here and this end with a firm fist of silky tannins. Pretty powerful. 89pts
2013 Fattorie Parri Chianti Montespertoli Riserva Corfecciano Urbana
Opening with a lot of blackberry and leather, this also shows a noticeable wood impact, with dark pencil lead aromas. Smooth, rich, racy even for a wine of this size, there's a lot to like here as it deftly balances modern feel with traditionally earthy, leather framed spiced cherry flavors. The fruit really powers through on the finish showing off wonderful spice tones, fine leather inner mouth perfumes and a core of barely chewy and persistent candied cherry fruit. Tannic and just a bit chewy this needs time but is impressive. 92pts
Fattoria Faltognano
2016 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Montalbano
Fresh yet sweet on the nose with lots of old spice cabinet notes, amarena cherry, and dandelion aromas. Lovely, bright and fresh in the mouth, not complicated but clean and pure built on fruit with hints of spices and dried herbs lending a complicating note. A touch of blood and Chamomile offer persistent inner mouth perfumes with violet pastille emerging on the backend, a very aromatic Chianti. 88pts
2015 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Montalbano Riserva
Leather glove, slight gamy, a touch of oak, but here too on finds a rather distinctly and elegantly aromatic wine.Very similar to the chianti in that this shows a delicate touch, more red fruited, red cherry, earth, mossy undertones, both wines show supportive but unobtrusive acids, and lovely finesse, which shows here particularly on the finish. This is slightly different than the Chianti Montalbano but I’m not sure it’s notable better than the previous wine. 88pts
Sensi
2017 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Campoluce
Leafy, sweetly floral and very high toned on the nose, with strong lemon verbena aromas. A powerful yet light wine, packed with fruit, perhaps showing the 5% Syrah with some inky spice note. Very smooth, almost feels a touch soft. Simply pure, fruity style but with structure, persistent fruit and firm tannins on the finish lending this just a touch of a chewy feel. Good for a wide audience . 85pts
2017 Fattoria Faltognano Chianti Superiore Vagante
10% white varieties co-fermented
Wow this smells like a super fruity floral white wine, initially all lemon blossomy and sweet thyme herbal notes. Soft ,the white grapes seem to lower the acidity,. It's a lovely, fresh wine with inner mouth perfumes that really set it apart. There's plenty of delicat red fruit on the palate paired with this penetrating honeysuckle perfume making this flat out delicious. So gulpable, this is so much joy in the bottle. A killer red for the summer! Serve it with a gentle chill. I’m not sure how to score this since it’s an outlier in today’s world of Chianti but for sheer joy it’s 90pts.
Mannucci Droandi
2017 Mannucci Droandi Chianti Colli Aretini
Wild mountain herbs but with the sweetness of over-ripeness. That blows off a bit, though this remains very candied, with herb candied spice driven aromatics. Smooth and polished in the mouth with an old school, country wine character filled with tons of dark ripe fruit, chewy tannins, and palate staining inky herbal flavors. Tannic and chunky. 83pts
2016 Mannucci Droandi Chianti Colli Aretini Riserva
Much less ripe io the nose with a fresher presentation of herbs, grasses, and wildflowers. A bit austere in the mouth, tannic and dry, again another country wine though with fine flavors of dark cherry fruit, earth and herbs, but quite tannc and severe. A dry old style that could improve with age. 86pts
Giacomo Mori
2016 Giacomo Mori Chianti
A touch light on the nose featuring raspberry fruit a hint of tea and some dried grassy nuances. A touch of sweetness early on the palate followed by a bright, if simple raspberry and citrus fruited midpalate. Appropriate tannins leave this a touch austere in the modest finish, which shows a touch of bitterness. A touch too angular 83pts
2015 Giacomo Mori Chianti Riserva Castelrotto
Dark and inky on the nose, with fruit aromas framed by old wood with leathery dried- mushroom accents. A touch of sweetness lends this some roundness and flesh early on the palate, the fruit is dark, heavy, and rich but a touch monotonous though it does deliver a nice impact in the mouth with the structure and a whisper of heat forming a modest finish. Fruity styled but a bit cumbersome. 86pts
Bindi Sergardi
2017 Bindi Sergardi Chianti La Boncia
Very fragrant and pretty on the nose with clay soil, sour cherry, and cranberry fruit. Very light and easy on the palate, nicely rendered with light tannins supporting juicy, citrus edged, red berry fruit. Pure with just a touch of sweetness from the fruit flavors, chill and go. 87pts
2017 Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi Al Canapo.
Wow this is fragrant, high toned but more floral, with a sweeter red cherry fruit. Balsamic on entry with a fine layer of rounded fruit lending this a more supple feel. Still lots of fruit though framed more by herbal nuance and chalky soil than citrus. Lovely elegant finish, really nice effort blending purity and a sculpted, more modern styled wine. 88pts
2016 Bindi Sergardi Chianti Colli Senesi Ciusum
A light nutty top note greets the nose followed by bay leaf and dark, cherry, jammy strawberry fruit. This is obviously more dense and tannic but there's a lightness to this, a gauzy elegance that pervades the wine. A delicate wine, subdued and restrained, a bit more rounded, yet easy going. A middle of the road expression that doesn't take any risks. 87pts
Poggio Bonelli
2017 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Villa Chigi
Simple nose delivers light fruit that is pretty with a floral top note. For a light, simple wine this offers a nice if gentle mouthful of pure, transparent fruit, barely red berry toned and leaning back towards aged flavors. It’s easy to like and refreshing. Juicy acids and light tannins make this easy to like but it is tannic enough to offer some pleasant mouth cleansing grab on the finish, just what it should be. 85pts
2017 Poggio Bonelli Chianti Colli Senesi Poggio Bonelli
Tobacco and clay greet the nose followed by some spicy nuances,and a touch of lead pencil. Delicate on entry, lacy in the mouth. Still tannic but there's no real weight here, drinkable, a more structured and deeper wine with dark cherry fruit, but there's an inherent velvetiness to this wine. The tannins are finely ripe, supportive but not intrusive, just a touch chewy, lovely soil tones emerge on the rather long finish along with a lingering note of fruit sweetness. 89pts
Mormoraia
2016 Mormoraia Haurio Chianti Colli Senesi
A bit gamy on the nose with a touch of black spice framing dark berry fruit. Bright on entry then turning very fruity with a touch of sweetness lending weight to the palate. A rich, round style, structured but smooth, the finish is modest, and a touch drying. 84pts
2015 Mormoraia Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva Trochus
Grapefruit, spicy green fruits, with lots of floral aromas on the nose. This too is a bit rounded with some sweetness lending weight and roundness to the palate. There’s plenty of acidity to keep it fresh with some notably aggressive tannins leaving a dry but important styled wine impression. Sleek, rather super Tuscan styled, with dark and somewhat anonymous fruit that sticks to the palate. 85pts
Dianella
2017 Dianella Chianti.
Lovely citrus and fig framed core of smoky paprika laced cherry fruit. Smells like an exotic kitchen.Wow this delivers a wallop of cherry fruit on the palate, lacking the complexity of the nose but with a fine underlay of sandy soil tones. Gently chewy but with plenty of flesh covering the structure, but not enough to be flashy in the mouth. Lots of citrus, slight fig, and cherry fruit linger on the finish. Just a joyous rich mouthful of Sangiovese, with a touch of tobacco lending complexity through the midpalate. 90pts
2015 Dianella Chianti Riserva
This is all bricks, dried fruit, dried herbs, and black mineral notes. Supple and graceful, just a fine elegant and feminine expression of Sangiovese that gains fullness on the midpalate, along with stony mineral accents. Tannins are fine but abundant promising a long life and the finish shows fine focus and length. Classic flavors, texture and balance; juicy and long with a nutty aspect to the dark cherry fruit of the finale, super stuff. 91pts