June 3, 2020 - A bit tired at this stage, with the acids poking into the medium(-) bodied fruits. I think its best days are behind it. NR
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October 6, 2015 - - Ruby color and aromas of hay/straw, black currant, black pepper and dusty. It's lacking fruit and has flavours of hay/straw, black currant, black pepper and dusty with a light/medium body. Narrow texture with a medium finish.
April 30, 2015 - Second of two bottles. Lovely cherries still here and nice bright acid, married to more mature characteristics of leather and christmas cake flavours...dried fruits and marzipan and allspice. Drinking wonderfully. Be sure to decant carefully though -- lots of sediment.
November 6, 2013 - Drank this at WWS Ned Sangiovese tasting, and tasted blind alongside '99 Fontodi Chianti Classico Vigna Del Sorbo Riserva, and 2003 Seghesio Sangiovese.
The Riserva showed a medium garnet color, bricking apparent at ages/wine is showing it's age. Nose of sweet round fruit, with earth and leather. Still plenty of fruit/sour cherries here, though very subtle, with fruit well-integrated with tannins that are mostly resolved, but still retaining some grittiness. Many tertiary qualities popping up here: earth, forest floor, mushrooms, with a nice long finish, & round mouthfeel. Overall, an excellent wine that has aged wonderfully. 1 of the stars of this nite's tasting for sure (my 2nd fave).
The Chianti Classico was also a very pleasant surprise. The wine showed great at this tasting, with loads of sweet cherries, soft tannins, and a pungent floral nose, that also exuded tertiary aromas: forest floor and mushrooms. The wine had great balance, with its fruit offset by a decent acidity level and fully resolved tannins. At first, I thought this wine was the Vigna Del Sorbo when tasted blind (though, drinking it later on it was quite apparent that the Riserva was the superior bottle). Still, a very enjoyable wine.
The 2003 Seghesio was easily discovered to be the lone domestic Sangiovese in this flight, given its darker color, sweeter, fruitier, oakier nose. The wine had many of the expected qualities of this grape, though perhaps just a bit more pronounced or obvious, and not so subtle or nuanced as the Italians. Still it was a good example of what Calif can do with this grape, and was far better than I expected.
November 1, 2013 - Drank at Gisondis for Halloween, along with a 1997 Fontodi CC, in preparation for a WWS sangiovese tasting next week. The Riecine was in far better condition: Darkish ruby color, with slight growing at the edges--though not nearly as much as I had expected. Still excellent fruit--primarily ripe cherries. Nice earthy quality, some leather and coffee notes too. Overall, a very nice wine, with good complexity & good length: a wonderfully mature CC that far exceeded my expectations.
The Fontodi was the 2nd bottle that I've had recently, and this one was better than the last. Much paler, pinkish color than the Riecine, more flowery scents on the nose though. This wine likely peaked awhile back, but still has decent fruit levels, some minerality and leather evidence. Not particularly long, slight bitterness at the back end. Overall, though, a pleasant CC, if not particularly complex or memorable, and also better than I had expected.
October 27, 2013 - Medium pale cherry color. Feint nose of leather & earth. The fruit has faded from this wine, and it's clearly not what it once was. Still, there are some interesting tertiary element coming thru--some barnyard, leather & earth, as well as a certain lingering sweetness to the remaining fruit. Still, the wine tastes more vegetal than fruity now. Alas, I waited a bit too long to open this, and still have a few others remaining which I'll open directly.
January 2, 2011 - Bottles were frozen on a way to me so can't say too much about the wine. From what I was able to test that were probably good wines
September 3, 2010 - Drank w/lasagne. Still fresh & dark but some secondary flavors coming out. Nose of leather and dark sour cherries echoed in the palate. Very good food friendly wine - wish I had more - should hold for many years. A
January 17, 2010 - Outstanding wine drinking very well right now, one of the better chiantis we have had, enjoyed with Kim two nights ago as the second wine at the Bartolotta Italian seafood restaurant at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Very dark, heavily sedimented, meaty wine, very well balanced, significant body, smooth, really a nice soft long lingering aftertaste. Double decanted at the restaurant table side by the sommelier, really improved with this, would definitely recommend a decant. Nose initially muted then almost explosive, cherry / garnet / pepper / dark fruit, primary flavors included terroir, dark fruit, iron / blood, pepper and loam. Outstanding QPR at the CT average price point, highly recommend this, this is a great chianti drinking very well right now, would drink up holdings soon.
May 22, 2008 - was screaming tonight...much better than previous two occasions (release and a couple of years later)...all the pieces are working together now and the age has added complexity, mouthfeel and secondary flavors (bordeaux like maybe...earth, saddle)...absolutely enjoyed