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WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

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Jenise

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WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Jenise » Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:59 pm

So I sold the neighborhood group on Chianti for this month's tasting, then expanded it to include Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Bolgheris for variety after finding something of a death of plain old good Chiantis around town. We tested quite a few, some we bought, some we didn't. These notes reflect some of the losing candidates as well as wines eventually used.

I've been very sick throughout the process of putting this together and couldn't even attend the tasting, though my sense of smell returned and I at least got to retaste some of the leftovers last night and that forms the basis for a lot of these notes. Reports back indicate that the group was not overly sold on Italian wines, even though I struggled to find wines that would be more appealing to new world palates.

And a comment: I'm used to having to kiss the occasional frog to find a prince, but I've never kissed so many frogs. It was a bitch to find nine good wines to serve at this tasting. For instance there were two other vinegary losers to those listed here, names not even noted, that got returned for refunds. Some retailer recco's were duds, some retailers had tasted very little of what was on their shelves. Some recommended certain wines only because "these sell well" -- one of which was the Poggio Vignoso below and check out how well (NOT) that turned out.

2015 Farnese Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Fantini
Ordered some for the tasting after having it in an Italian restaurant. Polished and modern for new world palates with sweet dark fruit and silky mouthfeel, but also pleasantly agreeable to europhiles. Amazing quality for $10.

2013 Fattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Sangiovese
Tasted over three days. Seemed like there was a constant veil between us and the fruit--was only somewhat coaxed forward by food but it never quite showed up. Pass.

2015 Fanti Toscano Rosso
Vinegar. Returned for refund.

2012 Fattoria Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
Saturated sangiovese flavors, considerable oak presence but in a way that makes it palatable for new world drinkers unused to old world acidity. Drinks well now and should be better in two years.

2013 Agricola San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio Chianti Classico DOCG
Opened a bottle of this over three days: Day one: thin and vegetal. Day two: sweet fruit emerges, still thin, pleasant with food if lacking inner confidence, though it seems like another 24 hours should bring rewards. Day three: no reward, it's celery city. Drink up, these won't get better. Unfortunately, I bought six for the tasting without trying first so it did get served (to understandably lackluster results).

2013 Tenuta Argentiera Bolgheri Poggio Ai Ginepri SuperTuscan Blend
Majority cabernet with syrah and merlot. Slightly smokey dark fruit with standout notes of black coffee and elevated salinity. Another Bolgheri (Guado al Tasso) in the same tasting had both elements so I guess that's Bolgheri's sense of place, but this one was a tad more extracted/sweeter which helped it take first place in a crowd that leans heavily new world cabernet. Interesting, but would not buy again for myself.

2013 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Il Bruciato SuperTuscan Blend
Noted similarities of black coffee and salted caramel among the dark fruits, but this was by far the more refined package. Soft tannins, overall good balance, ready now. Can't believe it didn't outperform the other Bolgheri with the group, but I guess it comes down to sweetness. Not a long-term hold but should be fine thru 2020.

2014 Avignonesi Cantaloro Toscana IGT SuperTuscan Blend
Takes the 'Super' out of Super Tuscan. 50% CS, 40% Merlot and it tastes like neither--light fruit and body, overripe strawberry/red fruit with a little bug spray perfume. Pass.

2014 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rùfina Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
PnP-ready. Lighter body than usual (barely medium) but in a good way: bright and lively, complex fruit and herbs, gains weight with time in the glass. Luscious and lively.

2016 Azienda Agricola Pugliano Chianti Poggio Vignoso Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
A tester bottle. Thumbs down on this one, highly simplistic cherry cough drop fruit with that slight bubble gum thing that I normally associate with carbonic maceration. For beginners, not believers. Now that was the first impression, by the time I ran out of options a week or so later, the simple cherry cough drop message was starting to make more sense. At least it would stand out as different, right? So I went and bought five for the tasting from a different store than I got the first one. Based on the first this was a pop-n-pour, no prep needed. But I did pop corks before sending them off to the Clubhouse for serving, at which point we found all five tainted with swampy, vegetal noses. WTF. Didn't send them.

2014 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Chianti Classico DOCG Sangiovese Blend, Sangiovese
This one's a winner. Dark fruit, leather, everything in balance but sufficient tannins for more good years in the cellar. Should be sweet and substantive enough for the group.

2013 Fattoria Viticcio Chianti Classico
This one's a stand-out. It has depth, balance and complexity in equal measure, and at $15 it's a relative bargain to boot. Definitely prefer it to the '12 Riserva.

2015 Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
#2 vote getter at the tasting. A grocery store staple up here and not at all the kind of wine I really wanted to feature, but the more frogs I ran into the more compelling it became. Straight forward dark fruits, good heft and balance, an easy sell to new world palates.

2014 Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva
Double magnum, purchased at Costco. Has to be fun for a big tasting, right, even if it's not the best possible Chianti? Wrong: it's just a big bottle of vinegar. Refund!

2013 Ca Erta Ripasso
So after all this, I ended up on Friday afternoon with just eight viable wines but a format built for nine, so I had to pull something out of my cellar to fill the gap, and it was this. Took co-first place. On the simple side but joyful with some sweet tea spice: irresistable like a chubby, laughing baby. And co-first place for the group.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Bob Parsons Alberta

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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:53 pm

Chianti..I avoid at all costs unless I have sampled at a tasting bar.
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John S

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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by John S » Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:16 pm

I agree, you never know what you are going to get in this region, especially at the CC or even CCR level. But if you do find some key, high quality producers, they are reliable, not too expensive and last for longer than you'd think (especially the riservas).
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Oliver McCrum

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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Oliver McCrum » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:30 pm

I sort of agree with Bob, so many Chianti producers don't understand terroir at all, and Sangiovese is in my view hijacked by new wood or Cabernet. But good Chianti is wonderful wine, the fresh acidity making it a very useful midnight food wine, and the best examples can age very well. I didn't import Chianti for maybe ten years, I was so cheesed off with the lack of direction in the appellation, but now I have four (all Classico).
Oliver
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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Jenise » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:38 pm

I'm a fan of Felsina--who isn't--but have over the years run out of other go-to producers. Well, Terrabianca would be one, but I don't run into them often.

Oliver, who are the four you're importing now?
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Patchen Markell

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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Patchen Markell » Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:54 pm

I've had very good luck in 2013 and 2014 with the Casaloste regular CC.
cheers, Patchen
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Re: WTN: A Chianti Plus Plus tasting

by Oliver McCrum » Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:51 pm

Jenise wrote:I'm a fan of Felsina--who isn't--but have over the years run out of other go-to producers. Well, Terrabianca would be one, but I don't run into them often.

Oliver, who are the four you're importing now?


Jenise,

Castell'in Villa, Istine (a relatively new producer from Radda), Monteraponi from Radda, and Castellinuzza e Piuca, a tiny family winery from Lamole. All big barrels only and no Cabernet in the Chianti.
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