Medium light opacity, Ruby colored. Nose of cherry, herbs and pencil shavings. The palate is full bodied cherry fruit that is savory and herbal with slight touch of forest. Well balanced with high acidity, round, string and chalky tannins. Finishes with textured dark cherry on the front palate. Delicious and full flavored.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Chianti definitely on the dark side, well-balanced and tannin resolved enough to be very enjoyable. More time may bring greater complexity, though drinks well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needs some time to open-up, still enough tannines to support a few years, typical sangiovese character, better the second day developing some sweet oak, marzipan and balance. Quite high in alcohol though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Robe bourgogne foncé. Demande à être décanté au moins 2h. Vin rond sur les fruits noirs et venaison. Bonne astringence, avec du corps. Très bon accords avec un bœuf bourguignon tomaté.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first of these. Just starting to lighten a bit at the rim, so still relatively young looking. Nose beginning to emerge a couple of hours after double decanting. Firm tannis, good acidity, some dark red fruits. and mineral. Giving more the next day. A good wine, but I'll wait a couple of years for the next.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
bottle age is helping to provide depth and nuance to the strong fruit that always has been present. I suspect this will continue to improve over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. This is really a sophisticated wine at this point. Dark fruit, leather, tobacco and raisin — but all balanced beautifully and wrapped up into a perfect wine. We think this is drinking close to its peak. It probably has a few years left on it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
San Felice’s 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio took about 20 minutes to open up, then came dark cherries, plums, spice and herbs. On the palate there is firm acidity, nicely integrated fine-grained tannins and a long, bittersweet finish. This is a lovely CCR with typical fragrances, flavor, balance and body, and is an excellent food wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking just great. Smooth and balanced but with sufficent character in nose and palate. Black cherry, bit of earth & spice, tobacco, leather. Has latent tannin and acidity as a backbone that sneaks up on you in a good way, and lends it depth where otherwise with its generally simple structure might have faded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still amazingly youthful, but what a powerful wine! Very proper sangio nose - iron, hint of leather, ripe black cherry, deeply aromatic. Mid is ripe, serious and structured. Sweet and tangy cherry, notes of spice, deep mid with tannic and oak moments but very fresh. Long savory sweet finish. Excellent!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
very pure Sangiovese showing crisp fruit and a lovely acidity, I don't understand why there aren't more 100% Sangiovese Chianti as this lovely grape performs at its best in a monocepage wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's hard to expect anything better for the wine that costs $20. It's perfect for what it is. At 8 years, it's at full maturity, showing both balance and complexity paired with classic Tuscan fruit profile. Really enjoyable and pairs well with different food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine has held up well. Served with handmade pizza with neighbors and the wine had just the right amount of acidity and fruit to go with the dinner. Should probably drink up over the next couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From memory. Needed one hour in the decanter before opening up. Dark red fruit, menthol, rosemary and other herbs. Very nice CCR with an understated, elegant balance of acid and tannin. Medium length, hint of sweetness on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Newbie to Chianti, so take my note with a grain of salt. This wine was more modern with darker fruit then I expected. Secondary notes of sage and thyme. Silky texture and good acidity. Moderate tannins were mildly astringent but not unpleasant. Easy drinking on it's own. Drank with beef lasagna which missed the mark... wine was a bit too heavy (would have preferred a lighter more acidic wine pairing). Will drink remaining two bottles over the next couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a good, relatively inexpensive Chianti Classico with initial flavors of ripe fruit and spices, followed by some, relatively soft, round tannins. Moderate length. This wine should continue to improve for a few years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice Chianti Riserva, enjoyed with veal parm. Medium bodied, dark cherry color in glass, nice nose and medium finish. Felt that it could improve over the next 2-3 years. Average QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple in the glass; bright flowers, rose petals, and fruit on the nose. Light flavors, dark fruit with a bit of blueberry and plum, still drinking young. A great deal at the price and one of the better Classicos I've had in a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After one hour of air, this is softening, getting round and smooth and is very enjoyable. This will be good for at least another 7years. A nice and elegant Chianti from an old, reliable producer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
really glad a bought a lot of this. young, but drinks well for at '10. I would think it will hit its stride in 2-3 yrs, but definitely worth popping one now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Solid chianti, ripe cherry fruit with a slightly tart edge. After open for a couple of hours begins to bloom with more complexity and expresses some chocolate, herbs, and a whiff of toast. Plenty good now but I bet this is one of those wines that will last a whole lot longer than the common drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2nd bottle 2010: a little bit younger but nontheless very enticing Chianti Riserva which expresses its best with a suntuous 3cm Costata. Smoothed tannins and some acidity with hints of dark chocolate and ripe red fruit. Well executed although leaves poor memories. At SM's with GS and RB
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby in color. Fragrant, attractive & youthful nose of ripe fruit aromas of red cherries, strawberries and currants with spicy overtones, floral notes of roses, dusty, earthy, dried herbs, some anise, minerals & a touch of vanilla & toasty oak in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of balanced, still youthful & vibrant, ripe fruit flavors of red cherries, strawberries & dark currants with spices, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting and airing at present and has some potential for further development with a few more years of additional aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: medium-deep ruby core -> diffuse light ruby rim. Bouquet of cherries, tar and a touch of iodine. Palate is approachable now with a delicious rusticity. Sour cherries, earth, appreciable but not overbearing tannins and a pleasantly long finish. For me, this overdelivers for the reasonable price. May have to go back to get more and let sit for awhile as I foresee this increasing in score given a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well made Chianti Classico. A bit fruit forward, and drinking well now, despite its youth. We had this one next to a San Felice Il Grigio Gran Selezione, and it was interesting to taste the difference. This actually drank better now than the Gran Selezione, but had less backbone, and probably would not last as long. The Gran Selezione has more upside, as well. I'm not sure I can justify buying these over the basic San Felice Chianti Classico - the Riserva approximately doubles the price of the basic Classico, and the Gran Selezione adds another $15 or so. However, each of these is available in PA, and the basic one is not.
Popped and poured at a BYOB restaurant, serving Italian, mainly Tuscan food. Solid classico, plenty of fruit at this young age, but some backbone as well. Based on previous vintages, this should become more complex in a year or two. Paired well with our meal choices, hearty pasta dishes on a cold evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted about 2 hours before serving and served with spicy spaghetti. This bottle was a bit off with some cardboard and mustiness in the nose and initial flavors, relatively short finish. Will try again. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We opened this too early. While I prefer well structured wines, the tannins were quite aggressive and overshadowed the nice earthy fruit that was evident on the nose but less so on the palate. I will withhold a number on this for now and wait a couple of years to open another.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep rich sangiovese-fruit on the nose, very classic! Taste is medium bodied and very dry. Acid and tannin are abundant, and makes this a very fresh wine! Deep cherrie-fruit, long and appetizing, good show! Has the capacity to last.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/15/2023 - SeaWine Likes this wine:
Solid for the price and still drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2022 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
Medium light opacity, Ruby colored. Nose of cherry, herbs and pencil shavings. The palate is full bodied cherry fruit that is savory and herbal with slight touch of forest. Well balanced with high acidity, round, string and chalky tannins. Finishes with textured dark cherry on the front palate. Delicious and full flavored.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2022 - cweiss Likes this wine:
A Chianti definitely on the dark side, well-balanced and tannin resolved enough to be very enjoyable. More time may bring greater complexity, though drinks well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2022 - Wijngek wrote: 90 Points
Needs some time to open-up, still enough tannines to support a few years, typical sangiovese character, better the second day developing some sweet oak, marzipan and balance. Quite high in alcohol though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2021 - Ruubious wrote:
Decanted - initial glass - Kerin o'Keffe review was spot on, Blue flower, leather, spice, berry aromas and flavour.
Drank wonderfully over the next two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2021 - dannyg wrote: 88 Points
Bit Tangy and acidic for my purpose. Needs food and cannot drink alone on its own.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2020 - flussier Likes this wine: 90 Points
Robe bourgogne foncé. Demande à être décanté au moins 2h. Vin rond sur les fruits noirs et venaison. Bonne astringence, avec du corps. Très bon accords avec un bœuf bourguignon tomaté.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2020 - cweiss Likes this wine:
My first of these. Just starting to lighten a bit at the rim, so still relatively young looking. Nose beginning to emerge a couple of hours after double decanting. Firm tannis, good acidity, some dark red fruits. and mineral. Giving more the next day. A good wine, but I'll wait a couple of years for the next.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2020 - whudock Likes this wine: 90 Points
bottle age is helping to provide depth and nuance to the strong fruit that always has been present. I suspect this will continue to improve over the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2020 - VoVo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. This is really a sophisticated wine at this point. Dark fruit, leather, tobacco and raisin — but all balanced beautifully and wrapped up into a perfect wine. We think this is drinking close to its peak. It probably has a few years left on it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2020 - Pluecht Likes this wine: 92 Points
All around fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2020 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 90 Points
San Felice’s 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio took about 20 minutes to open up, then came dark cherries, plums, spice and herbs. On the palate there is firm acidity, nicely integrated fine-grained tannins and a long, bittersweet finish. This is a lovely CCR with typical fragrances, flavor, balance and body, and is an excellent food wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2020 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking just great. Smooth and balanced but with sufficent character in nose and palate. Black cherry, bit of earth & spice, tobacco, leather. Has latent tannin and acidity as a backbone that sneaks up on you in a good way, and lends it depth where otherwise with its generally simple structure might have faded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2019 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Still amazingly youthful, but what a powerful wine! Very proper sangio nose - iron, hint of leather, ripe black cherry, deeply aromatic. Mid is ripe, serious and structured. Sweet and tangy cherry, notes of spice, deep mid with tannic and oak moments but very fresh. Long savory sweet finish. Excellent!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2018 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
good fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2018 - Kris G Likes this wine: 90 Points
very pure Sangiovese showing crisp fruit and a lovely acidity, I don't understand why there aren't more 100% Sangiovese Chianti as this lovely grape performs at its best in a monocepage wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2018 - megropolis wrote:
It's hard to expect anything better for the wine that costs $20. It's perfect for what it is. At 8 years, it's at full maturity, showing both balance and complexity paired with classic Tuscan fruit profile. Really enjoyable and pairs well with different food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2018 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still took some time to really blossom. A fair amount of acidity so really needs food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2018 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wine has held up well. Served with handmade pizza with neighbors and the wine had just the right amount of acidity and fruit to go with the dinner. Should probably drink up over the next couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2018 - EMichels wrote: 87 Points
(Old note - tasting date not accurate) Tight dark berry flavors; Medium short; Solid
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2017 - MattB72 wrote: 92 Points
Continues to get better. Best on the second day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2017 - chelidon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious, drinking very well, good fruit, just enough structure -- perfect mid-week pasta wine. Wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2017 - Jeck wrote: flawed
Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2017 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Much better on second day. Needs 2-3 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2016 - Grenik wrote: 88 Points
Good with food. Light and fruity, but with some depth that made it interesting even by itself. A little simple in profile, but a very good QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2016 - MattB72 wrote: 91 Points
one of the best QPR's in my cellar
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2016 - Thomas B wrote: 89 Points
Lighter style with soft fruit, drinking very nicely now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2016 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 90 Points
From memory. Needed one hour in the decanter before opening up. Dark red fruit, menthol, rosemary and other herbs. Very nice CCR with an understated, elegant balance of acid and tannin. Medium length, hint of sweetness on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2016 - Tvogen1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty bottle, had it with antipasto and baked ziti
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2016 - Guy VV wrote:
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black pepper and butterscotch and has flavours of cherry and walnut. Narrow texture.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2016 - Vietty Likes this wine:
Newbie to Chianti, so take my note with a grain of salt. This wine was more modern with darker fruit then I expected. Secondary notes of sage and thyme. Silky texture and good acidity. Moderate tannins were mildly astringent but not unpleasant. Easy drinking on it's own. Drank with beef lasagna which missed the mark... wine was a bit too heavy (would have preferred a lighter more acidic wine pairing). Will drink remaining two bottles over the next couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2016 - MattB72 wrote: 91 Points
Excellent chianti
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2016 - gaschief wrote: 90 Points
Dry red classic Chianti. Needs at least an hour to develop excellent flavor.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2016 - Ken332 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a good, relatively inexpensive Chianti Classico with initial flavors of ripe fruit and spices, followed by some, relatively soft, round tannins. Moderate length. This wine should continue to improve for a few years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2016 - Tonyboons33 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice Chianti Riserva, enjoyed with veal parm. Medium bodied, dark cherry color in glass, nice nose and medium finish. Felt that it could improve over the next 2-3 years. Average QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2015 - Thomas B wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple in the glass; bright flowers, rose petals, and fruit on the nose. Light flavors, dark fruit with a bit of blueberry and plum, still drinking young. A great deal at the price and one of the better Classicos I've had in a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2015 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 90 Points
After one hour of air, this is softening, getting round and smooth and is very enjoyable. This will be good for at least another 7years. A nice and elegant Chianti from an old, reliable producer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2015 - MattB72 wrote: 91 Points
really glad a bought a lot of this. young, but drinks well for at '10. I would think it will hit its stride in 2-3 yrs, but definitely worth popping one now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2015 - keepitreal wrote: 88 Points
Solid chianti, ripe cherry fruit with a slightly tart edge. After open for a couple of hours begins to bloom with more complexity and expresses some chocolate, herbs, and a whiff of toast. Plenty good now but I bet this is one of those wines that will last a whole lot longer than the common drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2015 - navybrat Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better second day what a great value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2015 - Mark Brandon Likes this wine: 89 Points
A touch young, but great QPR. Everything you want in a Tuesday chianti.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2015 - olracx62 wrote: 89 Points
2nd bottle 2010: a little bit younger but nontheless very enticing Chianti Riserva which expresses its best with a suntuous 3cm Costata. Smoothed tannins and some acidity with hints of dark chocolate and ripe red fruit. Well executed although leaves poor memories. At SM's with GS and RB
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2015 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
cherry fruit, soft tannin and a bit of earth. Fresh and a nice match with tomato based pasta dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2015 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
quite pleasant, especially with tomato based foods. some depth and complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby in color. Fragrant, attractive & youthful nose of ripe fruit aromas of red cherries, strawberries and currants with spicy overtones, floral notes of roses, dusty, earthy, dried herbs, some anise, minerals & a touch of vanilla & toasty oak in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of balanced, still youthful & vibrant, ripe fruit flavors of red cherries, strawberries & dark currants with spices, herbs, minerals & a touch of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting and airing at present and has some potential for further development with a few more years of additional aging.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2015 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
nice, light, fruit forward with good acidity. matches well with tomato based foods.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Color: medium-deep ruby core -> diffuse light ruby rim. Bouquet of cherries, tar and a touch of iodine. Palate is approachable now with a delicious rusticity. Sour cherries, earth, appreciable but not overbearing tannins and a pleasantly long finish. For me, this overdelivers for the reasonable price. May have to go back to get more and let sit for awhile as I foresee this increasing in score given a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - legarejm wrote: 90 Points
Very classic chianti. Great wine from great producer!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2015 - gaveaux Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic style chianti. 100% Sangiovese. Sour cherry, rustic, dry, nice acid and bitter finish. A proper chianti...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2015 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well made Chianti Classico. A bit fruit forward, and drinking well now, despite its youth. We had this one next to a San Felice Il Grigio Gran Selezione, and it was interesting to taste the difference. This actually drank better now than the Gran Selezione, but had less backbone, and probably would not last as long. The Gran Selezione has more upside, as well. I'm not sure I can justify buying these over the basic San Felice Chianti Classico - the Riserva approximately doubles the price of the basic Classico, and the Gran Selezione adds another $15 or so. However, each of these is available in PA, and the basic one is not.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/6/2015 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured at a BYOB restaurant, serving Italian, mainly Tuscan food. Solid classico, plenty of fruit at this young age, but some backbone as well. Based on previous vintages, this should become more complex in a year or two. Paired well with our meal choices, hearty pasta dishes on a cold evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2014 - Ken332 wrote:
Double decanted about 2 hours before serving and served with spicy spaghetti. This bottle was a bit off with some cardboard and mustiness in the nose and initial flavors, relatively short finish. Will try again. NR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2014 - whudock Likes this wine: 88 Points
lots of cherry fruit, still a bit rough. needs time to bottle age
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2014 - Tudz Drkl Likes this wine:
We opened this too early. While I prefer well structured wines, the tannins were quite aggressive and overshadowed the nice earthy fruit that was evident on the nose but less so on the palate. I will withhold a number on this for now and wait a couple of years to open another.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2014 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep rich sangiovese-fruit on the nose, very classic! Taste is medium bodied and very dry. Acid and tannin are abundant, and makes this a very fresh wine! Deep cherrie-fruit, long and appetizing, good show! Has the capacity to last.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment