Community Tasting Note
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honest bob wrote: 88 points
March 9, 2021 - From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour. This low-key, dusty, veiled wine reminded me of summers working in provincial Tuscany in the 1990s: brown sauce on brownish pasta, already stale, unsalted bread baked that morning with a brownish tinge, followed by brown fatty meat with sinews and unchewable bits where you wouldn't expect. And lots of tourists at the next table in rapture at how authentic the almost tasteless food supposedly was. The wine was generally a bit better: jug wine generally fine, bottled wine... well, you guessed it already: brown with thick tannins and heavy oxidation.
Of course, this product isn't oxidised or overly tannic, and displays some good, if dusty, fruit under all that other brown dust (although I don't recognise the fruit descriptors in previous CT TNs: black cherry? Raspberry? No, not in my glass...) Inevitably, some think that anything with Fontodi on the label just has to be fabulous, but 15 months on from my previous bottle, I'd agree that this CC is "very Tuscan", and suggest that (unless you have a palate capable of discriminating 50 Shades of Brown and Dust) you don't need to experience it. Life is too short. Either spend about half as much money on a young, fresh, red-fruited Chianti (drunk 3 years after the vintage), or save up and buy a good Brunello (to be drunk 15–20 years after the vintage). 88P(?)3 people found this helpful 4,021 views
5 Comments
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Lionshield commented:
3/9/21, 1:15 PM - Hi Honest Bob.
It sounds like the "terrible" experiences in Tuscany in the 90's have settled in you and you can't let go of them.
You spend more space describing your bad experiences, in describing the wine you taste.
But, thank you anyway, for your honesty.
Just hard to, get an understanding of the wine. (thinking one should have been there with you, back then in 90s Tuscany, to fully understand what you have been through ;-) -
honest bob commented:
3/9/21, 1:31 PM - Indeed... and sorry to have drifted off down memory lane. I was more analytical in my TN of 23.11.2019, which holds good for the bottle this evening.
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Lionshield commented:
3/9/21, 1:43 PM - No Prob, honest Bob.
We all have some horrible experiences, that we take with us in life.
;-) -
winemaker commented:
3/9/21, 7:52 PM - I prefer my Fontodi wines older. Usually 7-10 years for the CC. We had a '97 Flaccianello tonight that was terrific. I get that not everyone loves Fontodi CC as it is a more extracted CC. You may prefer Monsanto, Castell'in Villa, San Giusto, or Istine.
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Lionshield commented:
3/9/21, 10:35 PM - Well said, Winemaker
I love Castell'in Villa quite a bit.