Fantastic upon opening. Bright red fruits, herbs, and tea. Multidimensional, layered and long. I can see this aging well, based on it's fine structure and balance, but delicious today.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding! Plenty of flavor with an elegance that reminds me of a balanced Burgundy. Lots of red fruit, balsamic and dried herb. It definitely got better with a decant. 93-94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The color of this Chianti Classico is medium ruby with garnet reflexes. On the nose there are pronounced aromas of red cherries, strawberries, ripe blackberries, black tea, cedar wood, little smoke. On the palate the flavors are also pronounced and similar to the nose with sour cherries in addition. This medium bodied wine has a high acidity with medium(+) tannins which are very nicely polished. The finish is very long. I like this Chianti Classico very much. It's at the beginning of its drinking window with many years ahead of it. Glass I used: Zalto Universal
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really something special here. Beautiful floral nose and a complex, but well balanced chianti with a good amount of black pepper and spice. I’m surprised by other’s reviews as I think it’s in a great drinking window at the moment. Maybe because of the quick decant? Can’t wait to see this evolve. Decanted in case of sediment (none) and consumed immediately over the next several hours
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thought a couple Coravin tastes much earlier held more promise, opening it made me wonder if it was impacted (always a debate). But impression was consistent with recent TNs, not the 95-96 pt score inflation...but maybe very young still and it comes around really well if you believe the WS window out to 2042! Did have a standard Berardenga at 20 years which blew me away...be patient young grasshopper.
Although the wine had been open a considerable time, I still found it to be somewhat closed in. Thinking my palate was just not up to the task this particular evening. Clearly a wine that people have a high regard for.
Tasting a little tired, though after the wine was open an hour it perked up. Nice flavors, nice depth, just not very lively. I’ve had multiple bottles of this wine and it’s been all over the map.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cherry, raisin, tomato, leather, oak. Intense fruit, mid+ acidity,gentle and soft tannin and well-structured texture. After some time it gets more expressive with various notes like coffee, chocolate, sour kraut and some herbs. Really attractive. Can’t expect more than this to CC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank from magnum last nite with Jareckis for the Godfather nite. No decant, but could've used it. Very dark color, nose somewhat closed at first but opened up nicely to reveal some leather and licorice notes. Black cherry fruit, leather, some smoke, some dust. Classic chianti, drinking really well. Quite enjoyable. Decant and hold for a few more years if possible
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red color, limited transparency. Decanted off very small ring of tartrates in the punt. Palate is initially very closed with a lot of tannin on top of a leather, licorice, and currant palate. With air and food (chicken parmesan), this does open up to show more classic dust, cherry, licorice, smoke, plum, and a bit of vanilla. For my tastes, this needs more time or extended decanting. Hold.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
a bit better, didn't recall i drank it less than three months ago. a bit bitter at the start but started to smooth out in the glass. needs alot more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chianti doesn't get much better than this. Low scores may indicate an unrealistic expectation.Nice nose and restrained tannins, as well as copious fruit. Still young, with an upside of one or two more points. Drink now with pleasure or hold. Long finish!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From .375. 2h slow ox in bottle. Much more open than my last bottle a couple years ago, this is in a lovely space with roasted coffee notes, black cherry, and leather. Tastes like high quality Sangiovese and should be held a few more years even in this format
A very telling experiment: we were served with 2 bottles Rancia 2016, blind, next to each other. The first was purchased from Xtrawine.com, the second from 50secondfinish.
The bottle from Xtrawine tasted very evolved and tired right out of the gate, and turned bad after 10 minutes
Whereas the other bottle was still tasting very (even too) young. This was much better on day 2.
My first impression was that it was the same wine with at least 10 years of difference between them...
So, there is clearly something rotten in the shop of Xtrawine regarding the Felsina sangiovese bottles they offer. Blind tastings don't lie
Per my prior tasting note from 2/22, this is one of my favorite Chianti Classico wines from the region. It is always so consistently good and it pairs wonderfully with food. I recommend a minimum of a 1 hour decant to allow it to open up. Young, but tasty.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A textbook example of a young and fresh sangiovese with the cherries and acidity and a small touch of leather, but totally not at the level one expects given the reputation of the house and the wine itself, and also totally not in line with the price point. Don't see this getting substantially better
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose - a bit like a liqueur, loads of ripeness and some heat. i also get a bit of menthol/cough drop aroma. intriguing and a bit disjointed and suggests no run of the mill chianti to ensue mouth - a wallop of plummy fruit, with good concentration and length, some serious dry tannins balanced by nice acidity. the wine strikes me as being a bit astringent. There's lots going on here, and I can see potential, but I think its still needs to come together. Not wowed at this stage. Hold.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatics to fill the room - both last night on opening and then a few hours on. The wine smells mature and older than it is - dark balsamic top notes, camphor, and black cherry. A bit of cedar chest. Flavor and mouth feel are remarkable. Explosive in the mouth - both black cherry and tart pie cherry flavors, the balsamic in the nose makes an appearance along with black tea and a smooth band of new oak. The finish is a burst of acidity that calms down, yielding to extremely fine-grained tannin then a long, pleasant acidic finish lasting well beyond 30 seconds. This is the best performance of this wine and, in fact, this particular bottle is simply outstanding. But I have to comment on the broad array of scores and notes - even my own over the last year or so. If I thought every bottle of this wine would be like this one, I would buy every bit of it I could find/afford. But I think there is a great deal of variation and, because of that, I’m content to drink through my remaining few over the course of the next five years or so. This bottle, on these two days, was simply remarkable.
Balanced, clean and somewhat ephemeral Sangiovese that did extremely well with pasta with wild boar, a fellow Tuscan delicacy. Should get much better still over the next 5-10 years
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank two glasses over the course of 3 hours. Notes consistent with previous bottle from 2.5 years ago. Flavors were a bit muted compared to then and coffee notes barely there. This does seem to be on its way way out but still very drinkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fascinating to read all the notes - hold/don’t hold; decant/don’t decant; way too young/over the hill. So here’s my contribution to muddy the waters. Last bottle I had was almost two years ago and it outperformed this by a long way. On opening, the wine was fresh and alive - snappy acidity, bright red fruit, assertive tannin that yielded to an acidic, lengthy finish. Black tea and earth. I decanted for around five hours and drank with traditional Christmas Eve spaghetti. It was good, but it tasted a little tired alone, performed better with the acidic pasta sauce. Tasting the morning of day two and it’s softer and more elegant but finishes with some harsh acidity that fades into a lengthy and pleasant (if somewhat alcoholic) finish. This should clarify everything for everyone. Merry Christmas!
Very tight at this point. Sour cherry and black cherry with some saddle leather. Very light and translucent in appearance. Medium body, super fine tannins and very lifted acidity. but still a little closed even with a 1 hour decant plus aeration.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened 1-2 hours before drinking. Served in Zalto Universal next to the Vietti Castiglione 2026 in Zalto Burgundy.
When I last tasted this in december 2020, then I wrote that I should have listened to Galloni who called this “painfully stubborn”. Well, I forgot that once again!
Still too tight and dense. Somewhat more open on the nose than two years ago, but still needs considerable time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strawberries, blackberries, black currant, tobacco, leather, mushroom, earthy and oak on the nose. Fruity and balanced on the palate. Tannins are integrated. Good balanced acidity. Long, but gentle finish. Very good wine.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This started out very muted; took 2-3 hours to really open up. Begins with tart cherry but also some earthy notes. Still years to wait for remaining bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red with a slight ruddy tone. After 2 hour decant, lovely earthy smells (a little dusty), leaves and some nice dark berries. High acidity and med tannins which mask the fruit and promises to age well. Enjoyable, but could use another year at least, if not 2. Try again winter of 23/24 and have with a meaty pasta.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I found it soft, the opposite of closed and past its prime. I read one recent similar opinion, but several that think it too young and will be better w/age. Maybe my bottle got exposed to temp variations before I bought it? Or, do we just have Divergent opinions and tastes?
92 points today, 95 points in 3-5 more years of cellaring. If you give this a good two hour decant and pair it with a hearty meal, you can drink it now. However, it is a wound up ball of energy right now that will shock your salivary glands. One of my favorite bottlings of Chianti in all of Tuscany. Always good and so consistent.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
wait wait wait this is gonna be so good but its pretty closed up right now. it opened up a good bit with an hour in a decanter but still nowhere near the potential you can tell it has. I will definitely stock up on this though because its gonna be beautiful
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
All of the flavors are in place for a fabulous wine, but I found the fruit to be just a touch hollow. I'm guessing it was better a couple years ago and I'm hoping it will be better in another couple years as it evolves. 91pts today but with deeper fruit it could be 93-94pts. Hold.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pretty closed upon opening, but with some air showed back cherry and sea breeze notes. Palate was tight, some black cherry notes. Fine tannins with some bitterness on the finish. Shows rather thin at this point with structure to the fore. Best to hold.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2016 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia was expressive, layered and elegant. The youthful Sangiovese was clear medium ruby in colour without any sediments. Three hours of in-bottle aeration brought forth impressive aromatics of dark cherry, forest berries, violet and thyme herbs, followed by toast and smokiness like freshly roasted coffee.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, with medium-high level of fresh acidity and medium level of supple tannin. Flavours of liqourice, bramble berries, Ceylon tea and ferrous minerality persisted in a rather long delineated finish. The alcohol level was at 13.5%. It was a truly impressive Chianti with the regional typicity, delivering early drinking pleasure.
According to the winery website, the vines are grown on a southwest-facing slope at elevations from 400 to 420 metres. Rancia is the name of a historic farmhouse, formerly a Benedictine monastery located in in Castelnuovo Berardenga. The soil is composed of limestone and marl. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for eighteen to twenty months, followed by another six to eight months in bottle after blending.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is just at the early stages of its drinking window. We drank alongside pizza with tomato sauce and over the course of the meal the wine opened and evolved significantly and started to soften. If I had several bottles, I would open my next one in 3-5 years, this also is a wine where you could buy a case it drink it over the next 20+ years. Exhibits strong tipicity for Chianti Classico Riserva and is 100% Sangiovese.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Based on the tasting notes here I decided to double decant it and it was the right decision I guess. Nice perfume in the nose of sour cherry, black cherry, some plums, menthol, a bit of wet earth and a hint of wood. On the palate same impression as in the nose but now added with herbs and minerals. The lively acidity brings freshness and makes it quite crispy. The aftertaste is driven by dried cherry notes but also with sweet cherry in the background,, minerality and a herbal backbone which lasts pretty long. This is a very impressive, multi-layered interpretation of a Chianti. My first Rancia but definitely not the last. It holds everything to have a lot of years in front of it.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first of these. Notwithstanding the general advice to hold, I wanted to assess and was having a fantastic, gloppy sausage and red-sauce pizza and it seemed like the right time. It was. I’ve now tasted the wine on opening, 2 hours later and a day later. These notes amalgamate those experiences with the observation that on day two the aromatics are engagingly sublime and the flavor profile has lost some freshness but gained in complexity. That said - The wine is striking for its color and clarity. The nose is piercing acidity with spice, black cherry, red plum and cedar. At a quick, passing whiff it’s an ethereal strawberry essence. Lovely. The mouth feel is superb, carrying flavors of tart red plums, tart black cherry and tobacco on fine-grained tannins. High-minus acidity that, even on day two, connotes an engaging freshness. The finish is long and lingering with cherry and earth flavors and a bit of leather. The finish is mostly a promise of what is to be.
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From .375 this was totally closed on the first day. Muted nose, tight tannins, giving less than 50% of what it has on the palate, too. 3 tasters agreed. Back into the fridge...
Day 2, it emerged much more ready to play along, showing luxardo cherry, leather, and ripe (nearly overripe) red fruits. It now has a lengthy finish and good structure and acid for many years in the cellar. Good bones, but please don’t sacrifice any more for 2-3 years.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Two glasses poured on night 1. Cork back in the bottle after an hour or so and then opened again the evening after. Tasted in both Zalto Universal and Bordeaux, with the Bordeaux bring preferred.
I should have listened to Galloni on this one. “Painfully stubborn”. The elegance and balance is there, but on day 1 there was hardly any aroma. Only a little leather and dried earth. High acidity and medium tannins.
On day two, you get (faint) aromas of cherries (not the candied ones), sour raspberries, sweet tobacco and leather. Still very very closed.
The quality appears to be there, but right now it is not giving a lot. Hold hold hold.
Probably the best non-brunello Sangiovese I have ever had. ~ Tannins were quite something, had the grit of Sangiovese when scrubbing tongue against roof of mouth but felt like a flowing velvety robe when just present on palate. Nose connected well to body of earthy cherry and aged notes. Excellently integrated.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed at restaurant with wine braised brisket tagliatelle. On its own, the wine is too young to enjoy now, was perfect with the food, however. Well balanced with a delicious aftertaste and mouthfeel. While it is early, I feel it is safe to say that this wine is clearly a notch above other CCR’s that I’ve tested; my score based on what I believe the potential of the wine is. Would leave the wine 5-7 years before opening again.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great Chianti. Might need a longer decant than I could muster. Dry spicy decent body. Lovely with Italian fare. Had it with Pizza and Pasta on different nights and it paired great with both.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pretty clean and fresh with aromas of spearmint and cranberries. Light bodied and carefree. The mid palate brings the herbs and acidity; tarragon, oregano sprigs. Lingering finish. This is a good CCR, but I'm not entirely convinced of the hype or price behind Rancia.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine deities have provided a spectacular offering here. Prominent purple and black fruits, more so than the same vintage CCR, and even more poised. The perfume alone made me crave a meal of the finest meats and cheeses (in all the land), or at least homemade lasagna. Spectacular poise, drive, range, depth, and balance. Sporting high acid and medium plus tannin, it all works! Evocative purity throughout. I disagree with Tim Heaton, who wrote the wine lacked soul. Perhaps his bottle did.
The most striking aspect to this wine is, indeed, its inflection changing range. It delivers, and delivers, and delivers again...creating a profoundly satisfying experience. It probably goes without noting that this offering is not for Pinot Noir aficionados, nor those seeking suavity. While impeccably balanced, including judicious oak treatment, this thoroughbred-wild mustang cross rates a solid 9+/10 in bracing grip! It commands attention! Likely to improve after seven to ten years and last through 2042-2045. 94-96.
After not getting much from the last bottle, poured through aerator and let sit in glass for an hour - Success! Aromas and flavors of freshly rolled tobacco, dark cherries, and coffee; Quite a long finish with notes of cedar and molasses; this should develop nicely in the coming years
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Poured through aerator; still very closed even with a lot coaxing; quite dis-similar to the regular riserva where flavors were quite vivid; going to reserve judgement and scoring and just let this one sit for a while
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Suckling's Great Wines of Italy (Loews Hotel - Chicago IL): Walk around tasting. Ripe and lean at the same time with complexity already emerging and very brigh textures, especially towards long finish. I liked this even more today vs a few months ago.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
You need patience. If you can wait, let this wine be. If you open it now, be patient while it’s in the glass. Such a wonderfully made wine. The nose is just the kind that makes you want to rush in to taste the wine immediately. The youth of the wine initially hides some of its nuances. As the wine opened up, such great layers and textures were revealed. This is just a fun wine to experience.
Medium garnet in colour. Pronounced nose of black plum, tart underripe cherry, pepper and vanilla spice and cedar. High acidity and high tannins. Tart plum and underripe red cherry on palate. Quite austere with leaf. Vanilla oak and hint of toast. Long finish with great balance and intensity.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice wine right now, expressive cocoa, blackberries, touch of minerality, this is an easy drinker and well priced right now. It will be better with another 3-5 years of bottle age if you have the patience to keep it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gordon's Festa d'Italia (Artists for Humanity Center - Boston MA): Walk around tasting. Even more substance with plenty of red and black cherry and background spice, cedar and fresh herbs. Very good concentration, somewhat firmly structure for now, better 2022-, 91-92+ point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Tasting Event...Not ready yet, by any means a waste to drink would be in our household. So tight and wound up cannot even discern what is what from the tiny test pour except it that such is a good sign of a long-long life ahead. For this very glad to have several 750 & magnums keeping cool. Served to us from bottle. Tasting score cannot be identified at the moment.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light, fresh and refined, beautiful balance and crisp acidity. Rich dark cherry, balsamic and liquorice fruit, with deliciously savoury tannin on the finish. Excellent 93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened in the bottle for a few hours. More black fruit and less acidic than other vintages. Nice rustic Italian earth notes offset by cleaner notes of the fruit. Still it’s very tight with relatively high acidity needing 5 plus years to unwind. Still nice value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My notes echo others. This may not pack the wallop the 2013 vintage does, and isn't clenched tight behind its tannins like the 2015. This is elegant, balanced, and very tasty already.
That said, even though the fruit is a tiny bit sweeter, and the tannins more polished, this is still going to be a big wine when you open it now. To pair with food, you'll need bigger meats like beef or lamb. This might also pair well with duck. But this wouldn't be a chicken, pork, or fish wine.
This can certainly age awhile, but is delicious already. My score reflects current enjoyment.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good, but also a bit foursquare. Few surprises in this wine - it's delicious, structured, and balanced, but as easy as it is to like, it's also missing an x-factor, soul. If you want to open a nice bottle, this is your wine. If you want it to haunt you it was so good, this is not your wine. More for the mainstream critics to exclaim than this humble servant (I'll take Le Baroncole Riserva any day over this). I'd drink it if offered, but I'm not a buyer; 15 years ago I think I'd have rated this several points higher. 40k bottles; will last 20 years, no problem. (90-92)
Splash decanted and enjoyed over 3 hours. Elegant and balanced, with great fruit and yet not the substance of a great Brunello. This is really great stuff, and i think will be even better with time - but you have to be looking for balance vs. power. A-/A
PNP. Curious after the Fontalloro was so easy to drink at this stage. Tight on opening. Needed an hour to settle down. But pretty good right now with ripe, elegant fruit and structure to support a long live but not overpowering the fruit right now. I prefer the Fontalloro from memory but have not done the side by side tasting, and Rancia tends to blossom over time. I would say this is incredibly balanced compared to other vintages of Rancia. A-/A
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tuscan Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Sangiovese from the Poggio a Rancia area; Typically, "After the quality-selected clusters are de-stemmed & pressed, the must is fermented & macerated in s/s for 16-20 days @ 28°C & 30°C, with programmed punchdowns & daily pumpovers. In March-April, the new wine goes into new FR oak barrels; After 18-20 months of maturation, the final blend is assembled, bottled, & ages in glass a minimum of 6-8 mos."
N: Closed; Cherries, minerals? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish ft met by a modicum of astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly transitions into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with an elegant tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Approachable now with food, DESERVES through '20, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more... minimum. Elegantly styled! My EXC/EXC+; 97 pts Decanter, 94-97+ Vinous (Galloni), & 96 ea Suckling & WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 6 hrs. Quite a bit of hype on the Felsina / Chianti 16's and based upon last night's performance and if one leans towards nuanced and balanced wine with all the foundation pieces in place for a spectacular evolution in bottle, go deep and long on this one. Unlike the previous hyped and ballyhooed vintages like 04, 10, 13, and 15(?), this seems like it will take the more classical path vs. early fireworks of a riper vintage. Take the nose for example, I recall when drinking those vintages on release lots of dark fruit, mint cocoa etc, and they were really good, let that be clear. But this 16 Rancia had the most elegant strawberry fragrance, ethereal and delicate, yes please. I could go on, but I think my point is made. Warning - Sucklingism ahead----> Best Ranica Ever...?!?!
Visiting Rome and Tuscany; 6/18/2019-7/2/2019 (Lazio and Tuscany, Italy): Sourced from the Rancia Vineyard (adjacent to Castel Monastero) in Castelnuovo Berardenga, this recently-released Riserva is clearly classic in quality. Aged for 18 months in French oak barriques and subsequently in the bottle for 12 months, it is a deep ruby elixir that exudes a gorgeous array of red fruit and spices. Cherries, raspberries, coriander, allspice, rosemary, tobacco and tarragon reside in a full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (13.5%) frame with substantial grippy tannins and equally substantial toasty oak that will require aging in order to assimilate. Impressively dense on the mid-palate and long on the back end, there is no denying that this is a diamond in the rough. Give it at least three years in a temperature-controlled cellar. Drink 2022-2035.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark, reddish-purple garnet in color, bordering on opaque. Initially reticent, but eventually developing after decanting & extended airing into a full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, minerals, herbal notes of anise, mint & sage, tobacco, cocoa & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with herbs, spices, minerals, earthy & toasty oak. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & extended airing but has the depth, structure & potential for further development with much needed additional aging. A wonderful Rancia which needs much more time to fully develop. It is a well worthy successor to the wonderful 2015 Rancia.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/14/2024 - mdefreitas wrote:
Fantastic upon opening. Bright red fruits, herbs, and tea. Multidimensional, layered and long. I can see this aging well, based on it's fine structure and balance, but delicious today.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2024 - RDHudak wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding! Plenty of flavor with an elegance that reminds me of a balanced Burgundy. Lots of red fruit, balsamic and dried herb. It definitely got better with a decant. 93-94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2024 - Lanzelot Likes this wine: 94 Points
The color of this Chianti Classico is medium ruby with garnet reflexes. On the nose there are pronounced aromas of red cherries, strawberries, ripe blackberries, black tea, cedar wood, little smoke. On the palate the flavors are also pronounced and similar to the nose with sour cherries in addition. This medium bodied wine has a high acidity with medium(+) tannins which are very nicely polished. The finish is very long. I like this Chianti Classico very much. It's at the beginning of its drinking window with many years ahead of it. Glass I used: Zalto Universal
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2024 - crimonist wrote:
Really nice, decanted for about 60 minutes before drinking. Peppery and great with spring dinner.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2024 - BrendanMcS wrote: 95 Points
Really something special here. Beautiful floral nose and a complex, but well balanced chianti with a good amount of black pepper and spice. I’m surprised by other’s reviews as I think it’s in a great drinking window at the moment. Maybe because of the quick decant? Can’t wait to see this evolve. Decanted in case of sediment (none) and consumed immediately over the next several hours
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2024 - melzar wrote: 92 Points
Ditto notes of 10/14/ 2023. Perhaps a little young.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2024 - Bax62 wrote:
Still muted. Needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2024 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
in a good drinking spot
went well with samantha's lasagna made with deer sausage
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2024 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thought a couple Coravin tastes much earlier held more promise, opening it made me wonder if it was impacted (always a debate). But impression was consistent with recent TNs, not the 95-96 pt score inflation...but maybe very young still and it comes around really well if you believe the WS window out to 2042! Did have a standard Berardenga at 20 years which blew me away...be patient young grasshopper.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/24/2023 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Although the wine had been open a considerable time, I still found it to be somewhat closed in. Thinking my palate was just not up to the task this particular evening. Clearly a wine that people have a high regard for.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/24/2023 - randyjc wrote: 89 Points
Tasting a little tired, though after the wine was open an hour it perked up. Nice flavors, nice depth, just not very lively. I’ve had multiple bottles of this wine and it’s been all over the map.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2023 - brett228 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry, raisin, tomato, leather, oak. Intense fruit, mid+ acidity,gentle and soft tannin and well-structured texture. After some time it gets more expressive with various notes like coffee, chocolate, sour kraut and some herbs. Really attractive. Can’t expect more than this to CC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2023 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from magnum last nite with Jareckis for the Godfather nite. No decant, but could've used it. Very dark color, nose somewhat closed at first but opened up nicely to reveal some leather and licorice notes.
Black cherry fruit, leather, some smoke, some dust. Classic chianti, drinking really well. Quite enjoyable. Decant and hold for a few more years if possible
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2023 - fredb Likes this wine:
Dark red color, limited transparency. Decanted off very small ring of tartrates in the punt. Palate is initially very closed with a lot of tannin on top of a leather, licorice, and currant palate. With air and food (chicken parmesan), this does open up to show more classic dust, cherry, licorice, smoke, plum, and a bit of vanilla. For my tastes, this needs more time or extended decanting. Hold.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2023 - Musiclistener Likes this wine: 91 Points
375 ml. Excellent, would buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2023 - Martyl9 Likes this wine: 89 Points
a bit better, didn't recall i drank it less than three months ago. a bit bitter at the start but started to smooth out in the glass.
needs alot more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2023 - melzar wrote: 92 Points
Chianti doesn't get much better than this. Low scores may indicate an unrealistic expectation.Nice nose and restrained tannins, as well as copious fruit. Still young, with an upside of one or two more points. Drink now with pleasure or hold. Long finish!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2023 - ScottHaller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a bit rough. Earthy with some good fruit
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2023 - SBeringhause wrote:
Very nice. Did not need to give it much time to breathe. Excellent outer bottom.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2023 - Kris G Likes this wine:
Bottle from 50secondfinish, showing (way) too young with lots of potential, so as it should be ;), difficult to score but will hit well above 90.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2023 - Kris G wrote: flawed
And again bottle from Xtrawine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2023 - Kris G wrote: flawed
Bottle from Xtrawine.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2023 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
From .375. 2h slow ox in bottle. Much more open than my last bottle a couple years ago, this is in a lovely space with roasted coffee notes, black cherry, and leather. Tastes like high quality Sangiovese and should be held a few more years even in this format
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/23/2023 - Martyl9 wrote: 88 Points
dry dry dry. even three hours after decanting. where is the fruit.
from a half bottle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2023 - Vinogan(s) wrote:
A very telling experiment: we were served with 2 bottles Rancia 2016, blind, next to each other. The first was purchased from Xtrawine.com, the second from 50secondfinish.
The bottle from Xtrawine tasted very evolved and tired right out of the gate, and turned bad after 10 minutes
Whereas the other bottle was still tasting very (even too) young. This was much better on day 2.
My first impression was that it was the same wine with at least 10 years of difference between them...
So, there is clearly something rotten in the shop of Xtrawine regarding the Felsina sangiovese bottles they offer. Blind tastings don't lie
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
5/21/2023 - Waedi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initially closed, took several hours to open up. Rather rustic, but very nice wine. Will age well. Wait or decant for min. 2 h.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Per my prior tasting note from 2/22, this is one of my favorite Chianti Classico wines from the region. It is always so consistently good and it pairs wonderfully with food. I recommend a minimum of a 1 hour decant to allow it to open up. Young, but tasty.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2023 - werlbonn wrote:
Should have known better. Still closed after 1 day in the decanter. And this was a half bottle.
Next one in 2034 when this baby is grown up (18 years in Europe 😉).
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2023 - Vinogan(s) wrote: 88 Points
A textbook example of a young and fresh sangiovese with the cherries and acidity and a small touch of leather, but totally not at the level one expects given the reputation of the house and the wine itself, and also totally not in line with the price point. Don't see this getting substantially better
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2023 - soyhead wrote:
nose - a bit like a liqueur, loads of ripeness and some heat. i also get a bit of menthol/cough drop aroma. intriguing and a bit disjointed and suggests no run of the mill chianti to ensue
mouth - a wallop of plummy fruit, with good concentration and length, some serious dry tannins balanced by nice acidity. the wine strikes me as being a bit astringent. There's lots going on here, and I can see potential, but I think its still needs to come together. Not wowed at this stage. Hold.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2023 - randyjc wrote: 95 Points
Aromatics to fill the room - both last night on opening and then a few hours on. The wine smells mature and older than it is - dark balsamic top notes, camphor, and black cherry. A bit of cedar chest. Flavor and mouth feel are remarkable. Explosive in the mouth - both black cherry and tart pie cherry flavors, the balsamic in the nose makes an appearance along with black tea and a smooth band of new oak. The finish is a burst of acidity that calms down, yielding to extremely fine-grained tannin then a long, pleasant acidic finish lasting well beyond 30 seconds.
This is the best performance of this wine and, in fact, this particular bottle is simply outstanding. But I have to comment on the broad array of scores and notes - even my own over the last year or so. If I thought every bottle of this wine would be like this one, I would buy every bit of it I could find/afford. But I think there is a great deal of variation and, because of that, I’m content to drink through my remaining few over the course of the next five years or so. This bottle, on these two days, was simply remarkable.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
1/22/2023 - jhbehrens wrote: 92 Points
Balanced, clean and somewhat ephemeral Sangiovese that did extremely well with pasta with wild boar, a fellow Tuscan delicacy. Should get much better still over the next 5-10 years
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2023 - Hugo Hilde Likes this wine:
Beautiful, classic sangiovese. Concentrated, yet elegant and pure. 2016 in Tuscany is awesome!
Drink now for primary fun, cellar for additional complexity.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2023 - rnellans wrote: 92 Points
Pleasant..nice balance...needs more time imo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2022 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank two glasses over the course of 3 hours. Notes consistent with previous bottle from 2.5 years ago. Flavors were a bit muted compared to then and coffee notes barely there. This does seem to be on its way way out but still very drinkable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2022 - randyjc wrote: 90 Points
Fascinating to read all the notes - hold/don’t hold; decant/don’t decant; way too young/over the hill. So here’s my contribution to muddy the waters. Last bottle I had was almost two years ago and it outperformed this by a long way. On opening, the wine was fresh and alive - snappy acidity, bright red fruit, assertive tannin that yielded to an acidic, lengthy finish. Black tea and earth. I decanted for around five hours and drank with traditional Christmas Eve spaghetti. It was good, but it tasted a little tired alone, performed better with the acidic pasta sauce. Tasting the morning of day two and it’s softer and more elegant but finishes with some harsh acidity that fades into a lengthy and pleasant (if somewhat alcoholic) finish. This should clarify everything for everyone. Merry Christmas!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/4/2022 - Encinitas_Joe wrote: 91 Points
Agree with other comments, this one needs much more time. A bit surprised that this one is not showing better by now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2022 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very tight at this point. Sour cherry and black cherry with some saddle leather. Very light and translucent in appearance. Medium body, super fine tannins and very lifted acidity. but still a little closed even with a 1 hour decant plus aeration.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2022 - BilboBaggins wrote: 92 Points
Opened 1-2 hours before drinking. Served in Zalto Universal next to the Vietti Castiglione 2026 in Zalto Burgundy.
When I last tasted this in december 2020, then I wrote that I should have listened to Galloni who called this “painfully stubborn”. Well, I forgot that once again!
Still too tight and dense. Somewhat more open on the nose than two years ago, but still needs considerable time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2022 - Oddbjørn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Strawberries, blackberries, black currant, tobacco, leather, mushroom, earthy and oak on the nose. Fruity and balanced on the palate. Tannins are integrated. Good balanced acidity. Long, but gentle finish. Very good wine.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2022 - Bax62 wrote:
This started out very muted; took 2-3 hours to really open up. Begins with tart cherry but also some earthy notes. Still years to wait for remaining bottles.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2022 - Bottle Dog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red with a slight ruddy tone. After 2 hour decant, lovely earthy smells (a little dusty), leaves and some nice dark berries. High acidity and med tannins which mask the fruit and promises to age well. Enjoyable, but could use another year at least, if not 2. Try again winter of 23/24 and have with a meaty pasta.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2022 - jjhsom Likes this wine: 92 Points
I found it soft, the opposite of closed and past its prime. I read one recent similar opinion, but several that think it too young and will be better w/age. Maybe my bottle got exposed to temp variations before I bought it? Or, do we just have Divergent opinions and tastes?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/2/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
92 points today, 95 points in 3-5 more years of cellaring. If you give this a good two hour decant and pair it with a hearty meal, you can drink it now. However, it is a wound up ball of energy right now that will shock your salivary glands. One of my favorite bottlings of Chianti in all of Tuscany. Always good and so consistent.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2022 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
wait wait wait this is gonna be so good but its pretty closed up right now. it opened up a good bit with an hour in a decanter but still nowhere near the potential you can tell it has. I will definitely stock up on this though because its gonna be beautiful
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2021 - Portland Seth Likes this wine:
All of the flavors are in place for a fabulous wine, but I found the fruit to be just a touch hollow. I'm guessing it was better a couple years ago and I'm hoping it will be better in another couple years as it evolves. 91pts today but with deeper fruit it could be 93-94pts. Hold.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2021 - Twowinechicks wrote: 88 Points
Still quite reserved; perhaps better opened long before tasting?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty closed upon opening, but with some air showed back cherry and sea breeze notes. Palate was tight, some black cherry notes. Fine tannins with some bitterness on the finish. Shows rather thin at this point with structure to the fore. Best to hold.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2021 - apple1813 wrote: 92 Points
2016 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia was expressive, layered and elegant. The youthful Sangiovese was clear medium ruby in colour without any sediments. Three hours of in-bottle aeration brought forth impressive aromatics of dark cherry, forest berries, violet and thyme herbs, followed by toast and smokiness like freshly roasted coffee.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, with medium-high level of fresh acidity and medium level of supple tannin. Flavours of liqourice, bramble berries, Ceylon tea and ferrous minerality persisted in a rather long delineated finish. The alcohol level was at 13.5%. It was a truly impressive Chianti with the regional typicity, delivering early drinking pleasure.
According to the winery website, the vines are grown on a southwest-facing slope at elevations from 400 to 420 metres. Rancia is the name of a historic farmhouse, formerly a Benedictine monastery located in in Castelnuovo Berardenga. The soil is composed of limestone and marl. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for eighteen to twenty months, followed by another six to eight months in bottle after blending.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2021 - seattlecook Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is just at the early stages of its drinking window. We drank alongside pizza with tomato sauce and over the course of the meal the wine opened and evolved significantly and started to soften. If I had several bottles, I would open my next one in 3-5 years, this also is a wine where you could buy a case it drink it over the next 20+ years. Exhibits strong tipicity for Chianti Classico Riserva and is 100% Sangiovese.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2021 - Bradetti Likes this wine: 94 Points
Based on the tasting notes here I decided to double decant it and it was the right decision I guess.
Nice perfume in the nose of sour cherry, black cherry, some plums, menthol, a bit of wet earth and a hint of wood.
On the palate same impression as in the nose but now added with herbs and minerals. The lively acidity brings freshness and makes it quite crispy. The aftertaste is driven by dried cherry notes but also with sweet cherry in the background,, minerality and a herbal backbone which lasts pretty long.
This is a very impressive, multi-layered interpretation of a Chianti. My first Rancia but definitely not the last.
It holds everything to have a lot of years in front of it.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2021 - randyjc wrote: 94 Points
My first of these. Notwithstanding the general advice to hold, I wanted to assess and was having a fantastic, gloppy sausage and red-sauce pizza and it seemed like the right time. It was. I’ve now tasted the wine on opening, 2 hours later and a day later. These notes amalgamate those experiences with the observation that on day two the aromatics are engagingly sublime and the flavor profile has lost some freshness but gained in complexity. That said - The wine is striking for its color and clarity. The nose is piercing acidity with spice, black cherry, red plum and cedar. At a quick, passing whiff it’s an ethereal strawberry essence. Lovely. The mouth feel is superb, carrying flavors of tart red plums, tart black cherry and tobacco on fine-grained tannins. High-minus acidity that, even on day two, connotes an engaging freshness. The finish is long and lingering with cherry and earth flavors and a bit of leather. The finish is mostly a promise of what is to be.
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2021 - jviz wrote: 92 Points
From .375 this was totally closed on the first day. Muted nose, tight tannins, giving less than 50% of what it has on the palate, too. 3 tasters agreed. Back into the fridge...
Day 2, it emerged much more ready to play along, showing luxardo cherry, leather, and ripe (nearly overripe) red fruits. It now has a lengthy finish and good structure and acid for many years in the cellar. Good bones, but please don’t sacrifice any more for 2-3 years.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2020 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Compared to Felsina Fontallaro 2017. Held its own when paired with pesto.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/11/2020 - BilboBaggins wrote:
Two glasses poured on night 1. Cork back in the bottle after an hour or so and then opened again the evening after. Tasted in both Zalto Universal and Bordeaux, with the Bordeaux bring preferred.
I should have listened to Galloni on this one. “Painfully stubborn”. The elegance and balance is there, but on day 1 there was hardly any aroma. Only a little leather and dried earth. High acidity and medium tannins.
On day two, you get (faint) aromas of cherries (not the candied ones), sour raspberries, sweet tobacco and leather. Still very very closed.
The quality appears to be there, but right now it is not giving a lot. Hold hold hold.
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
10/25/2020 - jdkrabbe wrote: 95 Points
Probably the best non-brunello Sangiovese I have ever had. ~ Tannins were quite something, had the grit of Sangiovese when scrubbing tongue against roof of mouth but felt like a flowing velvety robe when just present on palate. Nose connected well to body of earthy cherry and aged notes. Excellently integrated.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2020 - DPetrone wrote: 96 Points
Excellent Chianti example. Ready to drink now but will improve
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2020 - Eurojon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed at restaurant with wine braised brisket tagliatelle. On its own, the wine is too young to enjoy now, was perfect with the food, however. Well balanced with a delicious aftertaste and mouthfeel. While it is early, I feel it is safe to say that this wine is clearly a notch above other CCR’s that I’ve tested; my score based on what I believe the potential of the wine is. Would leave the wine 5-7 years before opening again.
9 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2020 - Orange Tsian wrote: 92 Points
刚开瓶，层叠的黑樱桃、李子、覆盆子、蓝莓酱和几颗西梅干等组成浓郁有纵深感且干净的果香。略带湿润泥泞的植物根茎、草本、甘草和雪松在周遭渲染了清凉的植物气息，淡淡的皮革、一点桶味和谐流畅，丁香等香料粉末铺散，整体结构大而复杂。入口酒体中上，酸度较高，均匀分布口腔。丹宁中，密密麻麻，如噪点，还比较紧。酸樱桃、李子、黑莓、加应子和圣女果干层叠浓密有活力。雪松、胡椒、甘草等构成的辛辣木质调，同一点泥泞、清凉草本和烟草碎一道展开。一点金属光泽的矿物，结尾微苦。余韵长，回味有具备植物气息的甜。
瓶醒两个小时，果味略带沙瓤感，纵深度和甜味表现力更强，雪松、皮革和香料粉尘气味更明显，出现酱感和肉感。入口横向的扩张感明显些，略微呈现酱味，香料味更明显。
四个小时后，口感更加集中，后段的矿物混合金属，还有些许牡蛎壳，比较突出。
第二天，保持活跃浓郁的黑果，更开放立体，有诱人的纵深和匀称的肌肉感，后段的雪松、薄荷等植被和香料气息和果味更整合。奶油蛋糕绵密不腻，很舒服。入口舒畅，丹宁之后能化作比较光滑的触感。酸度依然挺拔，果味新鲜浓郁，出现咸柠檬、黑果干、葡萄干、杏干的味道。植被气息流畅。91-92/100
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2020 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great Chianti. Might need a longer decant than I could muster. Dry spicy decent body. Lovely with Italian fare. Had it with Pizza and Pasta on different nights and it paired great with both.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2020 - Doc90 wrote: 89 Points
Pretty clean and fresh with aromas of spearmint and cranberries. Light bodied and carefree. The mid palate brings the herbs and acidity; tarragon, oregano sprigs. Lingering finish. This is a good CCR, but I'm not entirely convinced of the hype or price behind Rancia.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2020 - pas.vino Likes this wine: 91 Points
It needs at least 2 hours to open up....but its wonderful!. Cherries, berries, balanced tannins. Very nice bottle of Chianti!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2020 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
The wine deities have provided a spectacular offering here. Prominent purple and black fruits, more so than the same vintage CCR, and even more poised. The perfume alone made me crave a meal of the finest meats and cheeses (in all the land), or at least homemade lasagna. Spectacular poise, drive, range, depth, and balance. Sporting high acid and medium plus tannin, it all works! Evocative purity throughout. I disagree with Tim Heaton, who wrote the wine lacked soul. Perhaps his bottle did.
The most striking aspect to this wine is, indeed, its inflection changing range. It delivers, and delivers, and delivers again...creating a profoundly satisfying experience. It probably goes without noting that this offering is not for Pinot Noir aficionados, nor those seeking suavity. While impeccably balanced, including judicious oak treatment, this thoroughbred-wild mustang cross rates a solid 9+/10 in bracing grip! It commands attention! Likely to improve after seven to ten years and last through 2042-2045. 94-96.
13 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (7)
6/27/2020 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
After not getting much from the last bottle, poured through aerator and let sit in glass for an hour - Success! Aromas and flavors of freshly rolled tobacco, dark cherries, and coffee; Quite a long finish with notes of cedar and molasses; this should develop nicely in the coming years
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2020 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent -- a good comparison with the Castellani a couple of days ago -- everything is +20 - 30% more intense
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2020 - jwolf99 wrote:
Poured through aerator; still very closed even with a lot coaxing; quite dis-similar to the regular riserva where flavors were quite vivid; going to reserve judgement and scoring and just let this one sit for a while
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2020 - strawbo Likes this wine: 88 Points
A lot of potential. Should keep well
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Suckling's Great Wines of Italy (Loews Hotel - Chicago IL): Walk around tasting. Ripe and lean at the same time with complexity already emerging and very brigh textures, especially towards long finish. I liked this even more today vs a few months ago.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2020 - jrglm Likes this wine: 92 Points
You need patience. If you can wait, let this wine be. If you open it now, be patient while it’s in the glass. Such a wonderfully made wine. The nose is just the kind that makes you want to rush in to taste the wine immediately. The youth of the wine initially hides some of its nuances. As the wine opened up, such great layers and textures were revealed. This is just a fun wine to experience.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
1/11/2020 - Erikjay wrote:
Totally closed, can’t rate it atm.
Surprised by the praise tbf.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2019 - marcellonegro wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet in colour. Pronounced nose of black plum, tart underripe cherry, pepper and vanilla spice and cedar. High acidity and high tannins. Tart plum and underripe red cherry on palate. Quite austere with leaf. Vanilla oak and hint of toast. Long finish with great balance and intensity.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2019 - NMWineLovers wrote:
97 pts
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2019 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine right now, expressive cocoa, blackberries, touch of minerality, this is an easy drinker and well priced right now. It will be better with another 3-5 years of bottle age if you have the patience to keep it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Gordon's Festa d'Italia (Artists for Humanity Center - Boston MA): Walk around tasting. Even more substance with plenty of red and black cherry and background spice, cedar and fresh herbs. Very good concentration, somewhat firmly structure for now, better 2022-, 91-92+ point potential.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2019 - Vinomazing Likes this wine:
At Tasting Event...Not ready yet, by any means a waste to drink would be in our household. So tight and wound up cannot even discern what is what from the tiny test pour except it that such is a good sign of a long-long life ahead. For this very glad to have several 750 & magnums keeping cool. Served to us from bottle. Tasting score cannot be identified at the moment.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2019 - Dj6544 wrote: 93 Points
Light, fresh and refined, beautiful balance and crisp acidity. Rich dark cherry, balsamic and liquorice fruit, with deliciously savoury tannin on the finish. Excellent 93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2019 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Opened in the bottle for a few hours. More black fruit and less acidic than other vintages. Nice rustic Italian earth notes offset by cleaner notes of the fruit. Still it’s very tight with relatively high acidity needing 5 plus years to unwind. Still nice value.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2019 - camdawg Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Tasted from 375 bottle)
My notes echo others. This may not pack the wallop the 2013 vintage does, and isn't clenched tight behind its tannins like the 2015. This is elegant, balanced, and very tasty already.
That said, even though the fruit is a tiny bit sweeter, and the tannins more polished, this is still going to be a big wine when you open it now. To pair with food, you'll need bigger meats like beef or lamb. This might also pair well with duck. But this wouldn't be a chicken, pork, or fish wine.
This can certainly age awhile, but is delicious already. My score reflects current enjoyment.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2019 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Very good, but also a bit foursquare. Few surprises in this wine - it's delicious, structured, and balanced, but as easy as it is to like, it's also missing an x-factor, soul. If you want to open a nice bottle, this is your wine. If you want it to haunt you it was so good, this is not your wine. More for the mainstream critics to exclaim than this humble servant (I'll take Le Baroncole Riserva any day over this). I'd drink it if offered, but I'm not a buyer; 15 years ago I think I'd have rated this several points higher. 40k bottles; will last 20 years, no problem. (90-92)
https://www.italianwinereviews.com
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2019 - MC wrote:
Splash decanted and enjoyed over 3 hours. Elegant and balanced, with great fruit and yet not the substance of a great Brunello. This is really great stuff, and i think will be even better with time - but you have to be looking for balance vs. power. A-/A
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/1/2019 - MC wrote:
PNP. Curious after the Fontalloro was so easy to drink at this stage. Tight on opening. Needed an hour to settle down. But pretty good right now with ripe, elegant fruit and structure to support a long live but not overpowering the fruit right now. I prefer the Fontalloro from memory but have not done the side by side tasting, and Rancia tends to blossom over time. I would say this is incredibly balanced compared to other vintages of Rancia. A-/A
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Tuscan Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% Sangiovese from the Poggio a Rancia area; Typically, "After the quality-selected clusters are de-stemmed & pressed, the must is fermented & macerated in s/s for 16-20 days @ 28°C & 30°C, with programmed punchdowns & daily pumpovers. In March-April, the new wine goes into new FR oak barrels; After 18-20 months of maturation, the final blend is assembled, bottled, & ages in glass a minimum of 6-8 mos."
N: Closed; Cherries, minerals? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish ft met by a modicum of astringent pucker which fairly seamlessly transitions into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with an elegant tangy/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Approachable now with food, DESERVES through '20, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more... minimum. Elegantly styled! My EXC/EXC+; 97 pts Decanter, 94-97+ Vinous (Galloni), & 96 ea Suckling & WA! [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2019 - Dale M wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 6 hrs. Quite a bit of hype on the Felsina / Chianti 16's and based upon last night's performance and if one leans towards nuanced and balanced wine with all the foundation pieces in place for a spectacular evolution in bottle, go deep and long on this one. Unlike the previous hyped and ballyhooed vintages like 04, 10, 13, and 15(?), this seems like it will take the more classical path vs. early fireworks of a riper vintage. Take the nose for example, I recall when drinking those vintages on release lots of dark fruit, mint cocoa etc, and they were really good, let that be clear. But this 16 Rancia had the most elegant strawberry fragrance, ethereal and delicate, yes please. I could go on, but I think my point is made. Warning - Sucklingism ahead----> Best Ranica Ever...?!?!
15 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/28/2019 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 96 Points
Visiting Rome and Tuscany; 6/18/2019-7/2/2019 (Lazio and Tuscany, Italy): Sourced from the Rancia Vineyard (adjacent to Castel Monastero) in Castelnuovo Berardenga, this recently-released Riserva is clearly classic in quality. Aged for 18 months in French oak barriques and subsequently in the bottle for 12 months, it is a deep ruby elixir that exudes a gorgeous array of red fruit and spices. Cherries, raspberries, coriander, allspice, rosemary, tobacco and tarragon reside in a full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (13.5%) frame with substantial grippy tannins and equally substantial toasty oak that will require aging in order to assimilate. Impressively dense on the mid-palate and long on the back end, there is no denying that this is a diamond in the rough. Give it at least three years in a temperature-controlled cellar. Drink 2022-2035.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2019 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep dark, reddish-purple garnet in color, bordering on opaque. Initially reticent, but eventually developing after decanting & extended airing into a full, fragrant & attractive nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, minerals, herbal notes of anise, mint & sage, tobacco, cocoa & a hint of cedar in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, rich, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with herbs, spices, minerals, earthy & toasty oak. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well with decanting & extended airing but has the depth, structure & potential for further development with much needed additional aging. A wonderful Rancia which needs much more time to fully develop. It is a well worthy successor to the wonderful 2015 Rancia.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment