Ruby in color. The nose has cherries and dust. On the palate, this has sweet cherry fruit. A bit one dimensional but nice enough. It has a bit of prunes on the finish. Solid wine.
Grade:
B
Score:
87
2016 Fratelli Grati Chianti Classico G, Italy, Tuscany
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2016 Folonari Chianti, Italy, Tuscany - Wine Review
Score:
85
Grade:
B
This sells for about $7. It certainly is an excellent value at that price. A nice wine to order at a local Italian restaurant or buy for a party. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is clean with raspberries, and light black cherries. Slight tea leaves. On the palate, this is crisp and clean. Cherried. Nary a tannin. Dry but a perception of sweetness. Good acidity. Works with food.
1997 Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo
Score:
98
Grade:
A+
OMG. This bottle was opened about 3 hours prior to drinking and decanted about 20 minutes prior (mostly for sediment). I was just blown away. I thought it would be good, even great, but it was amazing. Purple/ruby in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is awesome. Deep with plums, dark cherries, iodine, slight sandalwood and spice, lush earthiness with lush forest floor notes. On the palate, this is fresh and vibrant. Complex, layered and deep. Dark cherries, earthiness, forest floor notes, slight tea with just a slight drying tannin (in a good way). Great acidity. Worked perfectly
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano – Another Great Sangiovese Wine from Tuscany
Some of the great wines in Italy, and the world, hail from Tuscany. Other articles have discussed Super Tuscans , and some of the great wines based on the Sangiovese grape including Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino . In this article, another great Sangiovese based wine is explored: Vin Nobile di Montepulciano. The name of this wine can be confusing. Long ago these wines became the chosen wine of nobility hence the Nobile part of the name.
Great Italian Wines: Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany
There really is little question as to what the two most famous and prestigious wines from Italy are: Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. That is not to say they are the best wines, but that they have a history of being some of the best wines exported from Italy. The next series of articles will examine Brunellos (for a review on Barolo see the previously posted three part series on this site ). Brunello di Montalcino is a wine made from grapes grown in vineyards surrounding the hilltop town of Montalcino (about 5 miles south of Sienna) in Tuscany.
Brunello: An Italian Wine Scandal Ferments in Montalcino
In a previous article, we examined Brunello’s 100 plus year history . In Italian wine expressions, that is a relatively short period. Nevertheless, Brunello has established itself as one of the premium wines, not only in Tuscany, but also in the entire world. Brunello di Montalcino has an even more brief history in Italy’s wine regulations. Brunello did not become a DOC until 1966 and has only been a DOCG since 1986. Brunello’s DOCG regulations require that 100% Sangiovese grapes be used. The wines are then aged for a minimum of 4 years (5 years for the Riserva). Traditionally, Brunello required a minimum of three years ageing in wood barrels. That has now been relaxed to two years ageing in wood. In addition, four months must be in bottle (six for the Riservas). The finished wine cannot be released for sale until January 1st of the year five years from vintage year. For example, the 2003 Brunello’s could not be released until January of 2008. Geographically, there is a strictly identified zone surrounding the town of Montalcino, in which the Sangiovese grapes used to make Brunello must be grown and the wines must be bottled. So what type of experience should a good Brunello provide? This simple question is controversial at the moment. Traditionally, Brunello, like other Sangiovese wines, is a pale ruby color. The wine is transparent in the glass with lovely perfumed aromas of cherries and floral notes. It has a powerful elegance about it.
