2009 Le Ragnaie Chianti Colli Senesi

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  2/15/2011, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (CHIANTI Colli Senesi LA RAGNAIE) Bordeaux: Never a Dull Vintage Has Bordeaux lost its sense of urgency? For the first time in history (yes, I believe I can make that statement), Bordeaux has not had a poor vintage in more than a decade. In the past, a year such as 2007 would have had near wash-out results (with 2002 and, to a lesser degree, 2004 not far behind). In the new modern era, every vintage is good – every vintage has some sort of merit and that’s all you really need to know. I would go a step further - that the hundreds of thousands of notes, journals, keys depressed and millions of Euros spent analyzing and tasting the new vintage every year has lost its overall sphere of relevance. Those scrambling to write pages and pages of blog or journal entries to make the next big proclamation on the upcoming Bordeaux vintage are pursuing a camel that has little need for water. In truth, circa year 2011, a simple paragraph is all the consumer needs every year – all of the TNs, garble, weather prognosticators, PH readings, tannin/extract ratios and other that are analyzed ad nauseum will not change the fact that in today’s world, Bordeaux has a relatively good vintage every year. Each is marked by a general style and a few rise above the others but most vintages in our new world order can be summed up in a few sentences. While that statement may seem outlandish and over-simplified, it is inherently true. As producers continue to up the ante and fight for a market share that has decreased (not increased) quality across the board has never been higher and there’s a very strong argument that the general environs of Bordeaux now present us, from top to bottom, with the very highest quality and largest quantity of any region on earth. In addition, with the emergence of so many new pioneers and small artisan producers in Aquitaine (commingled with a boatload of corporate megaliths that now produce 100,000+ cases of surprisingly good wine), the need to contract futures every spring has lost its heart-palpitating significance. With the exception of 15-20 top wines every year (which could be surmised and placed in a one paragraph list instead of a 30-page journal), nearly every other bottle produced in Bordeaux is available and will continue to be available for years to come...at little more than their 1st and/or 2nd tranche prices. Considering there are now hundreds (if not thousands) of good to very good wines produced in Bordeaux every season, if you are buying to drink the wines (and not sell them), relax and feel good about the current climate - it allows the taster to pick and choose with relatively little risk and no need to front any funds in advance. Of course, if you are purchasing to speculate and invest, the current Bordeaux market presents a certain quagmire, doesn’t it? The top 15-20 wines are already quite expensive on 1st tranche but will they seem expensive in 2030 dollars or Euros? Only time will tell. The gift vintages from a quality/price standpoint (such as 2008 and, to a lesser degree, 2002 as the quality is not as high) are not the norm and may become extinct unless the pipeline becomes so stuffed with overweight and costly bottles that few desire or (more realistically) few can sell. This “problem” may exhibit itself sooner rather than later as the potentially exceptional 2010s become this year’s darling and the once fought-over 2009s become unthinkably lost in the shuffle (at least temporarily). The reality is that consumers can no longer afford to support every vintage en-masse, especially 2-3 years in advance of delivery. My advice in the current climate is to select a few producers and (more importantly) a vintage you admire or believe will escalate in value and forget all the TNs, scores and other mumbo jumbo. In the end, it’s not going to affect your enjoyment of the wine one bit and it may actually hinder it with 98pt expectations that (in all but the rarest of cases) will have a difficult time living up to the blogged about billing (keep that in mind when responding to all the over-hyped Garagiste offers as well). Taking this another step, is there really a difference between a 91 or 93pt score for future auction worth? Not really – vintages dictate value more than score as time passes – any 1982 now gets a good look from investors and drinkers, even if it was an 87pt wine on release (when they couldn't give it away). The 1982 or 1990 or 2000 example is juxtaposed by that of a 93pt First Growth from 1997 (or 2007) that may never be acquired or opened until all available vintages surrounding it have vanished. In other words, if price is the same, the 87pts can trump the 93pts simply due to vintage and perceived worth even though the terroir and result of the 93pts (from an unwanted vintage) may be superior. This proposition inherently devalues the need for wine journals and massive TNs on each vintage even further – if the overall or relative value of a wine (for long term investment’s sake) is determined more by vintage than actual score, wouldn’t the shrewd buyer avoid all the high scoring wines (that are now far more expensive than the others on 1st tranche) and stick to the 89-92 level where a trough as deep as the ocean exists? If bargains can be had at this level and, say 2010 is deemed the next best thing since 1989 meets 1990, wouldn’t the value of a plethora of 90pt wines from 2010 exceed their 93 or even 94pt counterparts from, say, 2004 or 2006? Wouldn’t the potential overall value of a cache of well-priced 2010’s be worth more of a gamble than investing stress, time, energy and a monetary windfall in a few cases of already expensive 2010 Mouton in the hope they will increase in value? If nothing else, the well-priced cache should be mighty good to drink down the road (if you change your mind and don’t feel like selling the wines) but the Mouton may always seem like a stock certificate that you never know the right time to part with...or tear up. I believe the current era presents an entirely new buying strategy for Bordeaux enthusiasts that emphasizes relaxation in the buying process and deemphasizes the frenzied scramble or need to read every last TN or report on a vintage. Do you really, I mean REALLY care if you can’t get that one case of 2009 L’Evangile? Unlike in the past, there are now a dozen (or more) other wines nearly as good for 50-70% less? Things could always change, as they have for eternity, but that 91 or 92pt Pomerol from a top vintage may be just as valuable from a percentage increase standpoint (and delicious standpoint) as its 96pt cousin 20-30 years from now. Circa 2011, don’t let past buying habits fool you into repeating them - the consumer is in control and the yolk is there for the taking...no pilot license required. - Jon Rimmerman **************************** 2009 Tuscany Dear Friends, This wine tastes like water... ...like a tall drink of the coolest water on a scalding summer afternoon. It breaks down any number of barriers and screams for attention with a translucent style that would not be out of place in Volnay or Saumur. Leave it to Riccardo Campinoti to go out on an even further limb than he has at his flagship/underground property in Brunello, La Ragnaie, to produce a 2009 La Ragnaie Chianti Colli Senesi that wishes for a spin on the 1950’s jukebox while lavishing us with the texture and silken framework of 2009. Tired of a 20 year ascension toward more oak, more extract and more alcohol in his beloved Tuscany, Campinoti (already admired for his pioneering/retro work in Brunello) decided enough was enough – why bother with a formula that has overtaken and over-run much of what made Tuscan wine so charming and sought after in he first place: a sense of place, rusticity and varietal (in this case, Sangiovese) that could not be found anywhere else. The confluence of climate, grape, exposure, soil and Mediterranean attitude of the landowner/winemaker were and are unique to all regions of Tuscany but this cultural and agriculture mix has lost its way. What did Riccardo do? He found his own plot of vines in a precious spot in Colli Senesi (an unheralded and “lesser” region...for now) and grew, pressed and quickly bottled the grapes/wine as his grandfather would have – without any influence from man and only that of the growing season. The result? La Ragnaie’s 2009 Chianti Colli Senesi – a young-gun Brunello producer’s call to action in the heartbeat of Italy. If a wine could redefine what has gone wrong with much of a region, allow this 11.8-12.3% alcohol, see-through example show the way. Barely pink/red in color with no sense of extract, weight or other – this is the original model of what everyday Chianti was aimed at – Burgundy...not Mondavi Reserve meets Le Pin. What makes this wine even more startling is the vintage – 2009 – a year with larger than life results throughout Europe and throughout Tuscany (where some wines are too large for their own life and far too alcoholic). Le Ragnaie’s 2009 Chianti is delicate, nuanced and a delight – it is every bit Cote de Beaune meets Colli Senesi without anything added or taken away. It is meant to be enjoyed, spilled, glugged and poured into paper cups without regard to anything other than the occasion and good friends that surround it. While the lack of color/impact will have some rushing for the wine dictionary for a proper way to categorize it, that is entirely missing the point. If you are willing to experiment with an open mind as well as an open palate allow the mystery of this wine that harkens to Pinot Noir call you back time and again. Make no mistake, this is a ground-breaking wine from Riccardo Campinoti for what it does not have, just as much for what it contains: hardly any extract, little if any color and bizarrely low alcohol. What it does have is character. It is the new breed of Tuscan wine, from the youngest generation of upstart winemakers raised on too many oak and extract monsters that have left them begging for a return to tradition and to Tuscany’s original inspiration... Burgundy. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 24/person until we run out. This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with the finest provenance available. VERY RARE (there are currently only a dozen or so cases in the US) 2009 Le Ragnaie Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG - (compare at $19-23+) To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to depart from Tuscany – it will arrive in late March (please check OARS for local pick up after April 10th). It will ship during the Spring shipping season and should provide splendid drinking from summer 2011-2016 (even slightly chilled). Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6217 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.