Drinking great at this point - 2004 was a great vintage for Felsina, and this wine is laser-focused on the palate, with good acidity and persistence. Sour cherry fruit on the nose - I don’t think this is my last bottle, and if I remember next time I will try this side-by-side with the Rancia and Fontalloro. Bravo!
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Oh, this is good! I have been tracking the evolution of the ‘04 Rancia, but haven’t checked in on this one as regularly.
Cherry fruit, good acidity and decent persistence - a total pleasure to drink, and it feels like it has the capacity for another decade, although my remaining bottles won’t last that long.
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A little rustic on the nose with mocha, dill & citrus. Medium body and tannins - not a lot of fruit but mostly spice, leaves, tea. Slow oxed for about 3.5-4h before drinking.
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At 15 years of age, drinking beautifully. I can't see this improving much from where it is right now, so if you have it in the cellar, treat yourself and open a bottle. Good acidity and persistence - a classic Chianti hitting on all cylinders right now, and the type of wine that reinforces the notion that dollar for dollar, it's hard to beat Chianti for providing value.
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This was absolutely singing last night, what a great bargain. Really surprised at this showing. Tannin resolved, perfect wine with sausage and kale orecchiette. Maybe a little high on the score but my wife, who tasted it blind, concurred at how great the wine was showing.
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I tasted this wine 2 years ago and drank it just after opening. It was muted and not much nose or taste. I opened another bottle, corked it and stored in the fridge overnight. The second night after opening it blossomed. Dark berries, cherries and excellent balance. This has plenty of life left in it. From now on I will drink this on day 2 or 3 after opening.
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Ran through aerator for second glass. Definitely tight if you don't let it breath first for a while (30 min or so). Somewhat fruit forward,, with a mix of berries and perhaps some fig. 2nd hour wine opened up nicely, nose was very pleasant. Finish was medium tannins, not puckering rather more refreshing in finish. Deep color, nice to swirl. Overall a worthy wine.
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Double decanted; moderate sediment. Poured immediately. Deep garnet color to the rim. Muted nose of dark berries. A lot of fruit on the palate, balanced well by acids. Mild tannins on a moderate length finish. A pleasant wine which we consumed with pizza. Three hours later, no noticeable change in nose or palate. This wine has been stored in a 55F cellar since purchase in 2007. Should have another year or two of good drinking. Day 2: Was not able to taste. Day 3: Seems to have opened up more; nose is not so muted and flavors are nicely integrated. I've added a point to my earlier score.
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Spicy nose, with some mentholated cherries. Tart, medicinal and fairly lean palate, with a few hints of classic dusty cacao powder. This sounds critical, but it's refreshing to drink, tastes like a Chianti, and goes well with food, which is fine in my book for the $22 it cost on release. Wide open texturally (unlike the clenched Rancia), but it hasn't developed much in the way of nuance and I'm not sure it will. I would drink these soonish.
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Good chianti that paired well with our grilled leg of lamb. This was good but not as great as I expected...rustic tannins but I wanted more acidity from this vintage
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Good right out of the bottle. Still decent fruit which got sweeter with a little air. I have a few more bottles and will drink soon but this one did not appear to be losing fruit or structure.
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After two years (last notes on 11/22/09) and recent notes from my good friends wineglas and rocknroller I had to revisit this last bottle of mine. Nose: Rustic aromas of leather, scorched earth, tar and ink. By far the best nose of my 3 bottles. Palate: At 7 years old plenty of tannic grip and acidity. The fruit is considerably diminutive but is still present and is representative of mature Chianti. Like wineglas I would say drink in the next year or even 6 months. Flavors of spicy red fruits and an almost perfumy flavor (as odd as that sounds) with a medium length finish. The nose is the killer attribute of this wine and pushes this to 91 points. Best bottle of my three, and as always; it's great to leave on a high note.
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Minneapolis Wine Club does Tuscany (Anita's House): My last bottle and a bit on the decline. I should have bought more of the 04 Rancia when I had a chance. Rustic, floral, raspberry and minerals. Improved slightly with more air but this wine should be consumed within a year.
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Mpls Wine Club Does Tuscany (Minnetonka, MN): Dark maroon color. Nose is meaty, earth, prominent oak, developing to add cherry, smoke and some florals. The palate is very metallic, with sour cherry, hi acid, frirm tannins, minerals. This is rather rustic, disappointing from a good producer.
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Very good chianti, although I think I prefer both the '04 Fontodi and '04 Monsanto to this. Ready to go, but has at least 4-5 years of life ahead (more, if you like a lot of tertiary notes on the nose and palate).
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Not as good as previous bottles so I would drink up on this wine. Minerals, raspberry and menthol on the nose. The palate is better with spice, vanilla, oak, and minerals. Some floral notes coming through.
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Really drinking well right now with a rustic edge to it. Leather, raspberry, and earth. Good structure and solid medium finish. One of my favorite Chianti producers.
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90-91 Very good. Great balance. The Sommelier Journal note below pretty much nails this one: sour cherry, orange zest. I get anise seeds as well and some other flower petals and leaves. This could compete with many brunellos and barolos. Maybe missing a bit of depth but quite elegant. Beautiful classic sangiovese flavor profile. Fans of more modern styles may not like this as much. Update: Gets worse with air even the first night. Maybe closing down. Not the same precision and distinct elements. 89-90.
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I had high hopes for this wine after reading all the tasting notes but found this to be one-dimensional and dominated by a sour taste but without any fruit. The nose was earthy and interesting but we both found this wine to be hard to drink both with and without food (eggplant parmigiana and pasta), which should have paired very well. We drank this after a 2006 Casali di Bibbiano Super Tuscan that was much more full bodied and enjoyable.
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Getting closer to Galloni's score. Opened up considerably since Oct. 2008 but still very primary. Very typical for its origin in a positive sense. Beautiful nose with the usual Sangio suspects, red cherries, some florals and newly lit match but no tertiraries yet. Palate which especially just upon opening is quite approachable with plenty of fruit but tightens up considerably with air and on day 2 and becomes more austere. Massive acidity but the fruit is there to support it. Tannins on the rough side still but definitely loosening up, good balance. Give it 2 years and this one will be singing.
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Barolo Tasting at Dave M. Condo: Nose: Dusty red fruits. Palate: Good acid with cherry, some plum and a little spice on the finish. Always good although I think this needed more air to show it's capability (popped & poured).
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A nice improvement since my last bottle. This Felsina Chianti Riserva displayed floral aromas with blackberry fruit, clove and old cedar. On the palate it showed raspberry, herbal tea leaves and sour citrus rind. The body is medium and the finish is long with lemony, sour cherry.
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2 hour decant. nose a bit reticent at first, but opened nicely with dominant cherry and leather components. More layers revealed over the evening. On the palate, dried cherries, tobacco, and a bit of a citrus and herbal component that was accentuated on night 2. Tannins were noticeable in the first glass, but settled nicely overall. good balance of fruit, earth, tannin and acidity. VGOOD. drink or hold.
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Nose: Chalky and loamy minerals with red fruits and a hint of spicy cinnamin. Palate: Firm acid entry with the red fruits showing. Finish is a little quick, but very clean. Solid tannins. This is very well made and the nose is quite interesting. Good QPR and one of the better Chiantis I have had in a while.
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I was quite unlucky with my two bottles of Felsina '04 CCR. This second bottle was not spoiled, like the first one, but it was quite flat, but after an extended decanting (and on the second night) it showed some cherries, tannins, acidity ending with slightly bitter finish. On the first night it also had some interesting orangy taste. This appears quite different from the reviews of others so I believe this was not a representative bottle. No score.
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Initially gave half the bottle an hour in the decanter but it was still quite tight. As it opened in the glass, a pleasant nose revealed itself, dominated primarily by cherry and licorice. The tannins were still really intense and prevented me from really picking up anything on the palate. On the second day I drank the undecanted half. It had opened up excellently. The nose was much more expressive and complex, still dominated by cherries and licorice but also showing raisin, spice, earth, and other flavors. Still fairly tannic, but balanced, with good acidity. This is a great food wine; it complemented a tomato-based stew very well. Only improvement I'd ask for is a longer finish. Overall, a beautiful chianti and a great QPR. The score is slightly higher due to the price ($20).
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I have never encountered a wine that was more consistently a 91 point wine than this one. Outstanding yet accesible and a little 'je ne sais quoi'. Very, very sad it is my last bottle. But I do have the Rancia from the same year, first bottle to open in 2010! Can't wait.
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At first I thought this wine would redeem itself but instead it got worse with time. Upon first opening, a nose of Cherry, Mint, herbal tea and manure. Followed by raspberry fruit, cut grass and minerals. Excellent acidity but a little lighter body than expected from Chianti with a short finish. However, with time the nose picked up the same off putting almost cardboard and then described as dirty socks by my wife... Oh God she's right. Maybe it's a point in this wines life but after two tastings, I'm disappointed.
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Opened and decanted for an hour before tasting. At first strong alcohol on the nose but it dissipated after some time. The wine was heavily acidic on the palette and out of balance; not overly tannic. After about 3 hours in the decanter the wine opened up with some nice chocolate flavors accompanied by dark fruit. I served this wine (2+ hours in the decanter) with a strong tomato sauce (anchovy and garlic base) and the wine really sang through the dinner complimenting while not getting overpowered by the sauce. I liked the Chianti but will wait a few more years before I open the next one.
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Day one, opened about an hour before spaghetti, and while it's acidity was a bit much before the meal, it really showed off during it, balancing the marinara.
Day two -better I think, gained complexity. Really nice, wish I had more.
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Just a wonderful chianti with a perfect balance between expressive red fruit and concentrated dark fruits. Very refined, yet not too smooth new world-like: it is sangiovese from Tuscan terroir all the way!
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Completely satisfying Chianti that grows on you every minute! This bottle was empty in three hours which pretty much says it all. I cannot stress enough how good the 2004 vintage was for sangiovese in Tuscany. And a class producer like Felsina obviously delivers, which makes the Rancia something to look forward to. The food, coming from a Puglian trattoria, added to the occasion. Although the nose is somewhat subdued it is nicely concentrated, the palate delivers just terrific tannins and is more expressive and layered with red fruits and italian herbs. A satisfying but slightly short finish, yet very enjoyable. Do eat Italian along with it!
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Great Chianti. Dark purple color with just a hint of brick. Nose of cherries, vanilla, lavender, chalk, leather. Palate of sour cherries, leather, sage, and earth. Very nice.
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Sight: Medium Dark Red Nose: Dark red fruits; Woodsy and Earth notes; Black Cherries… Reminiscent of the darkest of a black cherry bunch Taste: Smooth; Excellent Pizza Wine Overall: A great Chianti and an overall fine wine (89+ points)
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This wine was great. Opened without decanting the color is almost black in the center. The nose offers great primary aromas of black cherry, tar, smoke and game. I also detect a slight herbal note, not green, but more like sage a trace of shoe polish. It adds complexity to the nose. The palate follows the nose with dark red and black fruit, clean, buffering acidity and medium-ripe fruit in the mid-section. This finish is long and while the wine has a little Sangio funk it has more than enough fruit to offset this while retaining its sense of place. If the Rancia is a step up from this hold on!
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Brief note from remote memory. This was really tight and even a little sour. This will certainly improve with time, but it remains an open question whether there's enough fruit in there for me. A COMPLETELY different animal than the '04 Felsina Riserva Rancia, which I love...
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Karl House: Deep purple; Aromatic, smoke, leather, forest, sous-bois, cassis, blkberry--Is this a cab or what? But tons of a’s, underlying minerality-salt-drk cherry; super silky, rich, smth; refined t’s, amazing, but very NW. “Cab-like w/syrah notes & min”. Very good, but no way was this 95 pts.
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Decanted 1.5 hours. Rich wonderful nose of blackberry jam and pepper. Floral notes linger on the palate before the stout mouth- drying tannins kicks in. A bit young right now.
Later... Developed wonderfully over the next several hours. Much more interesting aspects of spice and cherries on the finish. Tannins calmed a bit to allow for more blackberry and cherries on the palate. I think that this will really be a gem in a couple of years.
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5/29/2021 - skipwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still classic chianti with an hour of decanting and a few more years to go at least in magnums
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5/2/2021 - Bob H wrote:
Drinking great at this point - 2004 was a great vintage for Felsina, and this wine is laser-focused on the palate, with good acidity and persistence. Sour cherry fruit on the nose - I don’t think this is my last bottle, and if I remember next time I will try this side-by-side with the Rancia and Fontalloro. Bravo!
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11/13/2020 - Bob H wrote:
Oh, this is good! I have been tracking the evolution of the ‘04 Rancia, but haven’t checked in on this one as regularly.
Cherry fruit, good acidity and decent persistence - a total pleasure to drink, and it feels like it has the capacity for another decade, although my remaining bottles won’t last that long.
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10/5/2020 - jvphoto wrote: 88 Points
A little rustic on the nose with mocha, dill & citrus. Medium body and tannins - not a lot of fruit but mostly spice, leaves, tea.
Slow oxed for about 3.5-4h before drinking.
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12/1/2019 - Bob H wrote:
At 15 years of age, drinking beautifully. I can't see this improving much from where it is right now, so if you have it in the cellar, treat yourself and open a bottle. Good acidity and persistence - a classic Chianti hitting on all cylinders right now, and the type of wine that reinforces the notion that dollar for dollar, it's hard to beat Chianti for providing value.
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1/17/2019 - Bob H wrote:
Lovely nose here - earthy red & black fruit - a classic Chianti nose here.
This is really drinking well now - and this may tempt me to check out a Rancia in the near future. If you have it, check one out.
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12/29/2018 - shutto1992@gmail.com Does not like this wine: 80 Points
RIP :(
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9/23/2018 - Bob H wrote:
I just tried a 2005 Rancia - if 2005 is one of the best vintages for current drinking, then 2004 has been one of the slowest to come around.
This CCR today is starting to get in the zone. Nose is still a little reticent - pleasant but unfocused.
Decent acidity and good persistence - this is good, but I think still has the potential for further improvement.
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11/26/2017 - MikeCW wrote: 93 Points
This was absolutely singing last night, what a great bargain. Really surprised at this showing. Tannin resolved, perfect wine with sausage and kale orecchiette. Maybe a little high on the score but my wife, who tasted it blind, concurred at how great the wine was showing.
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5/28/2017 - Andrew Layman wrote:
NA
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5/28/2017 - Andrew Layman wrote:
n/a
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3/4/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted double blind. Tart red cherry throughout with spice hints. Good+ concentration and length, just a slightly drying finish.
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12/15/2016 - shutto1992@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
I tasted this wine 2 years ago and drank it just after opening. It was muted and not much nose or taste. I opened another bottle, corked it and stored in the fridge overnight. The second night after opening it blossomed. Dark berries, cherries and excellent balance. This has plenty of life left in it. From now on I will drink this on day 2 or 3 after opening.
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9/30/2016 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still drinking well and my note of 9/11/2015 still applies.
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4/9/2016 - HWgeek Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ran through aerator for second glass. Definitely tight if you don't let it breath first for a while (30 min or so). Somewhat fruit forward,, with a mix of berries and perhaps some fig. 2nd hour wine opened up nicely, nose was very pleasant. Finish was medium tannins, not puckering rather more refreshing in finish. Deep color, nice to swirl. Overall a worthy wine.
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3/29/2016 - Vinomark wrote: 89 Points
bocci's
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12/19/2015 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Double decanted a day and advance. My notes of 9/11/2015 still apply.
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12/11/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mature and delicious! mild tannin, balanced acid. Dark fruit smooth blackberry and coco powder. A bit of baking spice.
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9/11/2015 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Double decanted; moderate sediment. Poured immediately. Deep garnet color to the rim. Muted nose of dark berries. A lot of fruit on the palate, balanced well by acids. Mild tannins on a moderate length finish. A pleasant wine which we consumed with pizza. Three hours later, no noticeable change in nose or palate. This wine has been stored in a 55F cellar since purchase in 2007. Should have another year or two of good drinking.
Day 2: Was not able to taste.
Day 3: Seems to have opened up more; nose is not so muted and flavors are nicely integrated. I've added a point to my earlier score.
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10/15/2014 - shutto1992@gmail.com Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Flat and over the hill. From PNP to second night, the wine never opened and was essentially tasteless. Not offensive, just boring.
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5/25/2014 - Vinomark wrote: 90 Points
Very popular at Ted's spaghetti feed. Matured nicely was my memory
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2/18/2014 - blanquito wrote: 87 Points
Spicy nose, with some mentholated cherries. Tart, medicinal and fairly lean palate, with a few hints of classic dusty cacao powder. This sounds critical, but it's refreshing to drink, tastes like a Chianti, and goes well with food, which is fine in my book for the $22 it cost on release. Wide open texturally (unlike the clenched Rancia), but it hasn't developed much in the way of nuance and I'm not sure it will. I would drink these soonish.
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6/24/2013 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
Good chianti that paired well with our grilled leg of lamb. This was good but not as great as I expected...rustic tannins but I wanted more acidity from this vintage
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5/4/2013 - MDRwinos wrote: 88 Points
A bit harsh on opening. Tannins settled down within 15 minutes to make this an entirely drinkable bottle.
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4/7/2013 - rojoloco Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good right out of the bottle. Still decent fruit which got sweeter with a little air. I have a few more bottles and will drink soon but this one did not appear to be losing fruit or structure.
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12/6/2011 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
After two years (last notes on 11/22/09) and recent notes from my good friends wineglas and rocknroller I had to revisit this last bottle of mine.
Nose: Rustic aromas of leather, scorched earth, tar and ink. By far the best nose of my 3 bottles. Palate: At 7 years old plenty of tannic grip and acidity. The fruit is considerably diminutive but is still present and is representative of mature Chianti. Like wineglas I would say drink in the next year or even 6 months. Flavors of spicy red fruits and an almost perfumy flavor (as odd as that sounds) with a medium length finish. The nose is the killer attribute of this wine and pushes this to 91 points. Best bottle of my three, and as always; it's great to leave on a high note.
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9/25/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club does Tuscany (Anita's House): My last bottle and a bit on the decline. I should have bought more of the 04 Rancia when I had a chance. Rustic, floral, raspberry and minerals. Improved slightly with more air but this wine should be consumed within a year.
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9/24/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 87 Points
Mpls Wine Club Does Tuscany (Minnetonka, MN): Dark maroon color. Nose is meaty, earth, prominent oak, developing to add cherry, smoke and some florals. The palate is very metallic, with sour cherry, hi acid, frirm tannins, minerals. This is rather rustic, disappointing from a good producer.
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9/4/2011 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Very good chianti, although I think I prefer both the '04 Fontodi and '04 Monsanto to this. Ready to go, but has at least 4-5 years of life ahead (more, if you like a lot of tertiary notes on the nose and palate).
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5/17/2011 - Sellar Rat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just beautiful! Enticing nose of licorice and rose petal. Liquid silk on the palate, very complex, polished and suave. Drinking fabulously right now.
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5/6/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 88 Points
Not as good as previous bottles so I would drink up on this wine. Minerals, raspberry and menthol on the nose. The palate is better with spice, vanilla, oak, and minerals. Some floral notes coming through.
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3/29/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Really drinking well right now with a rustic edge to it. Leather, raspberry, and earth. Good structure and solid medium finish. One of my favorite Chianti producers.
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12/27/2010 - winegr wrote: 91 Points
90-91 Very good. Great balance. The Sommelier Journal note below pretty much nails this one: sour cherry, orange zest. I get anise seeds as well and some other flower petals and leaves. This could compete with many brunellos and barolos. Maybe missing a bit of depth but quite elegant. Beautiful classic sangiovese flavor profile. Fans of more modern styles may not like this as much.
Update: Gets worse with air even the first night. Maybe closing down. Not the same precision and distinct elements. 89-90.
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5/8/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 83 Points
I had high hopes for this wine after reading all the tasting notes but found this to be one-dimensional and dominated by a sour taste but without any fruit. The nose was earthy and interesting but we both found this wine to be hard to drink both with and without food (eggplant parmigiana and pasta), which should have paired very well. We drank this after a 2006 Casali di Bibbiano Super Tuscan that was much more full bodied and enjoyable.
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5/2/2010 - kampster wrote: 91 Points
Getting closer to Galloni's score. Opened up considerably since Oct. 2008 but still very primary. Very typical for its origin in a positive sense. Beautiful nose with the usual Sangio suspects, red cherries, some florals and newly lit match but no tertiraries yet.
Palate which especially just upon opening is quite approachable with plenty of fruit but tightens up considerably with air and on day 2 and becomes more austere. Massive acidity but the fruit is there to support it. Tannins on the rough side still but definitely loosening up, good balance. Give it 2 years and this one will be singing.
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11/22/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
Barolo Tasting at Dave M. Condo: Nose: Dusty red fruits. Palate: Good acid with cherry, some plum and a little spice on the finish. Always good although I think this needed more air to show it's capability (popped & poured).
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11/2/2009 - MC wrote:
Good, but nothing special. B/B+
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10/14/2009 - Eric Guido wrote: 89 Points
A nice improvement since my last bottle. This Felsina Chianti Riserva displayed floral aromas with blackberry fruit, clove and old cedar. On the palate it showed raspberry, herbal tea leaves and sour citrus rind. The body is medium and the finish is long with lemony, sour cherry.
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8/11/2009 - MC wrote:
Good, but not great. May get a little better, but will not be special. B+
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7/14/2009 - chapel hill wino wrote:
2 hour decant. nose a bit reticent at first, but opened nicely with dominant cherry and leather components. More layers revealed over the evening. On the palate, dried cherries, tobacco, and a bit of a citrus and herbal component that was accentuated on night 2. Tannins were noticeable in the first glass, but settled nicely overall. good balance of fruit, earth, tannin and acidity. VGOOD. drink or hold.
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6/27/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Chalky and loamy minerals with red fruits and a hint of spicy cinnamin. Palate: Firm acid entry with the red fruits showing. Finish is a little quick, but very clean. Solid tannins. This is very well made and the nose is quite interesting. Good QPR and one of the better Chiantis I have had in a while.
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6/8/2009 - dke wrote:
I was quite unlucky with my two bottles of Felsina '04 CCR. This second bottle was not spoiled, like the first one, but it was quite flat, but after an extended decanting (and on the second night) it showed some cherries, tannins, acidity ending with slightly bitter finish. On the first night it also had some interesting orangy taste. This appears quite different from the reviews of others so I believe this was not a representative bottle. No score.
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6/1/2009 - dke wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle, rubber on the nose, flat taste.
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5/10/2009 - chayward wrote: 92 Points
Initially gave half the bottle an hour in the decanter but it was still quite tight. As it opened in the glass, a pleasant nose revealed itself, dominated primarily by cherry and licorice. The tannins were still really intense and prevented me from really picking up anything on the palate. On the second day I drank the undecanted half. It had opened up excellently. The nose was much more expressive and complex, still dominated by cherries and licorice but also showing raisin, spice, earth, and other flavors. Still fairly tannic, but balanced, with good acidity. This is a great food wine; it complemented a tomato-based stew very well. Only improvement I'd ask for is a longer finish. Overall, a beautiful chianti and a great QPR. The score is slightly higher due to the price ($20).
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3/13/2009 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
I have never encountered a wine that was more consistently a 91 point wine than this one. Outstanding yet accesible and a little 'je ne sais quoi'. Very, very sad it is my last bottle. But I do have the Rancia from the same year, first bottle to open in 2010! Can't wait.
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2/1/2009 - Eric Guido wrote: 82 Points
At first I thought this wine would redeem itself but instead it got worse with time. Upon first opening, a nose of Cherry, Mint, herbal tea and manure. Followed by raspberry fruit, cut grass and minerals. Excellent acidity but a little lighter body than expected from Chianti with a short finish. However, with time the nose picked up the same off putting almost cardboard and then described as dirty socks by my wife... Oh God she's right. Maybe it's a point in this wines life but after two tastings, I'm disappointed.
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1/23/2009 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
See prior notes. Such a joy to drink. Should have bought them by the case.
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1/19/2009 - jsander wrote: 89 Points
Opened and decanted for an hour before tasting. At first strong alcohol on the nose but it dissipated after some time. The wine was heavily acidic on the palette and out of balance; not overly tannic. After about 3 hours in the decanter the wine opened up with some nice chocolate flavors accompanied by dark fruit. I served this wine (2+ hours in the decanter) with a strong tomato sauce (anchovy and garlic base) and the wine really sang through the dinner complimenting while not getting overpowered by the sauce. I liked the Chianti but will wait a few more years before I open the next one.
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12/30/2008 - Larry Brooks wrote: 91 Points
Drank over two days.
Day one, opened about an hour before spaghetti, and while it's acidity was a bit much before the meal, it really showed off during it, balancing the marinara.
Day two -better I think, gained complexity. Really nice, wish I had more.
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12/24/2008 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
Just a wonderful chianti with a perfect balance between expressive red fruit and concentrated dark fruits. Very refined, yet not too smooth new world-like: it is sangiovese from Tuscan terroir all the way!
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11/7/2008 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
Completely satisfying Chianti that grows on you every minute! This bottle was empty in three hours which pretty much says it all. I cannot stress enough how good the 2004 vintage was for sangiovese in Tuscany. And a class producer like Felsina obviously delivers, which makes the Rancia something to look forward to. The food, coming from a Puglian trattoria, added to the occasion. Although the nose is somewhat subdued it is nicely concentrated, the palate delivers just terrific tannins and is more expressive and layered with red fruits and italian herbs. A satisfying but slightly short finish, yet very enjoyable. Do eat Italian along with it!
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10/9/2008 - kampster wrote: 89 Points
Very closed at the moment. Good potential but lay them away for 3-4 years.
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7/25/2008 - Zinny wrote:
Great Chianti. Dark purple color with just a hint of brick. Nose of cherries, vanilla, lavender, chalk, leather. Palate of sour cherries, leather, sage, and earth. Very nice.
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4/22/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 89 Points
Chicago Chianti Nobile Rosso BYOB Pizza Event (Coal Fire Pizza, Chicago, IL): Tasted as part of 4/22 Coal Fire Pizza Offline. Drank from Riedel Riesling Glasses.
Sight: Medium Dark Red
Nose: Dark red fruits; Woodsy and Earth notes; Black Cherries… Reminiscent of the darkest of a black cherry bunch
Taste: Smooth; Excellent Pizza Wine
Overall: A great Chianti and an overall fine wine (89+ points)
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4/22/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Spring time Tuscans (Coal Fire Pizza): nose: real nice full cherry nose with some plum tones, earth bits, wood tones, and even bits of floral tones
taste: big lush feel on the palate with cherry, dark plums, and some earth tones
overall: very silky chianti that shows off the more new style of chianti. Real good weight and length with a nice polished feel to this
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4/7/2008 - Roberto_1 wrote: 92 Points
This wine was great. Opened without decanting the color is almost black in the center. The nose offers great primary aromas of black cherry, tar, smoke and game. I also detect a slight herbal note, not green, but more like sage a trace of shoe polish. It adds complexity to the nose. The palate follows the nose with dark red and black fruit, clean, buffering acidity and medium-ripe fruit in the mid-section. This finish is long and while the wine has a little Sangio funk it has more than enough fruit to offset this while retaining its sense of place. If the Rancia is a step up from this hold on!
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4/3/2008 - Rechrom wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Classic deep cherry fruit, nice nose, good length, clean entry and finish. Just a very pleasant bottle, particularly with some pasta.
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3/30/2008 - smorris291 wrote: 92 Points
Lovely chianti, with all of the acidity and balance that I would hope for.
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2/5/2008 - KevinS wrote: 86 Points
Brief note from remote memory. This was really tight and even a little sour. This will certainly improve with time, but it remains an open question whether there's enough fruit in there for me. A COMPLETELY different animal than the '04 Felsina Riserva Rancia, which I love...
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1/26/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Binny's winter warm up (Binny's Highland Park, highland park IL): nose: rich cherry nose with earth tones, chocolate, and some floral notes
taste: very nice. filled with cherries and chocolate with a bit of earth and floral notes too
overall: a really wonderful chianti. Nice and polished with a good lasting finish
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1/8/2008 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Karl House: Deep purple; Aromatic, smoke, leather, forest, sous-bois, cassis, blkberry--Is this a cab or what? But tons of a’s, underlying minerality-salt-drk cherry; super silky, rich, smth; refined t’s, amazing, but very NW. “Cab-like w/syrah notes & min”. Very good, but no way was this 95 pts.
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12/30/2007 - bschwindtcoffee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Rich wonderful nose of blackberry jam and pepper. Floral notes linger on the palate before the stout mouth- drying tannins kicks in. A bit young right now.
Later... Developed wonderfully over the next several hours. Much more interesting aspects of spice and cherries on the finish. Tannins calmed a bit to allow for more blackberry and cherries on the palate. I think that this will really be a gem in a couple of years.
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11/23/2007 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Probably too early to drink, but still really nice.
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