Tuscany

• Brunello di Montalcino
• Chianti

This is one of my favorite Chianti's.  Normally, I let the Rancia's rest a bit while I drink the "lesser" Felsina wines.  But, I had been hearing such great things about this wine, that I wanted to try one young.  Good move.  While this should improve, this was wonderful.  One of the top Chianti's I have ever had.  And, while this is not inexpensive for Chianti, it is for a wine of this quality.  Deep ruby in color, a bit lighter at the rim.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, some anise, and some tea leaves.  On the palate, this has juicy acidity.  Big cherry fruit over a forest floor

Chianti doesn't get enough credit.  The better producers consistently make wines that are great values especially in the great vintages.  And, 2016 is a great vintage.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has nice cherries, with wet tea leaves and dust.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit layered with some forest floor qualities.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This is a perfect wine to pair with pizza or pasta.  It should be drunk in the next five to seven years, but it will probably still make good drinking in ten years.  A great value at around $10!

This is drinking well if still not yet at peak.  A nice, more modern styled BdM.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, dust and tea leaves.  On the palate, this has light tannins.  Black cherry fruit over a forest floor.  Good acidity.  Depth and tight layers.  Nice finish.  Give this wine another 4 to six years and it should be closing in on peak.  It should be good for ten to fifteen years after that.  It will work with a wide variety of foods from pasta to fowl and roasts. 

This is drinking quite well at the moment.  Seemingly at peak, no reason to wait.  Deep ruby in color, a bit lighter at the rim.  The nose has cherries, dried cherries, forest floor and slight hay.  On the palate, this has layers of cherries, dried cherries and a damp forest floor.  Really lively acidity.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This will work well with meat, fowl or pasta dishes.  It is better with food.  Still should have five to seven more years and then slowly fade.  

Deep ruby in color, a bit of browning at the rim.  The nose is nice with cherries, dust, some earthiness and tea leaves.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries over a bi of char and forest floor.  This has a nice complexity.  At prime or possible slightly past.  Worked quite well with a mushroom risotto.  No hurry, but these should be consumed over the next five to ten years.  

Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  This is a big wine that is more about darker fruits than a more traditional Brunello.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, some spice and just a hint of forest floor.  On the palate, the black cherries and black raspberries come thru.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This wine is delicious.  It is still young but drinks well.  Great on its own but should work with bigger foods and roasted dishes.  

This is a very interesting take on Brunello.  It is big in a modern style sense but also more about minerality than fruit.  In any event, it is quite good and just starting to hit maturity.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, iron, minerals and slight tea leaves.  On the palate, this has light tannins.  Nice cherry fruit with underlying minerality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This will work great with traditional Tuscan foods but any fowl or pork dish should also work well.  If drinking now, let it breathe for a few hours if you can.  This may improve for a couple of years and wi

If you own any of this, open a bottle.  It is drinking quite well and this bottle anyway, seemingly at peak.  100% Sangiovese.  Purple in color with ruby swirls and ruby at the rim.  The nose is great.  Mature, deep and intoxicating.  Aromas of cherries, forest floor, tea leaves, leather and a hint of menthol tobacco.  On the palate there are cherries and plums layered with tobacco and earthy forest floor.  Great balance with the acidity.  Just the slightest bit of tannin left.  Nice finish.  This in contemplative when drinking but will be even better with some pasta.  It certainly has a de

This is a nice solid Chianti for a very nice price.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is dusty with cherries, anise and tea leaves.  Light tannins.  On the palate, sour cherries over slight forest floor.  Good finish.  This is very food friendly with excellent acidity.  Will go great with pasta, pizza and fowl dishes.  It should probably be drunk in the next few years but will probably be drinkable for five to seven if not at peak.  

This is a Bordeaux blend Super Tuscan wine from one of the top producers in Tuscany.  It is one of their less expensive offerings and is always an outstanding wine.  This wine is surprisingly open and drinking well already considering that 2015 is an outstanding vintage in Tuscany.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight tobacco and spice.  On the palate, this has a nice juiciness to it.  Black cherry fruit dominates at this point with some underlying tobacco/earth.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This might still improve but either way should be good