April 7, 2024 - With many thanks to @Tim Heaton for parting with this bottle from his collection, this allowed me to enjoy a Chianti with some age on it.
The nose is rich with Black Cherry compote, cigar box, forest floor/mushrooms but also a green freshness (green tobacco leaf?), that balanced the richness in an aromatic experience that I just want to enjoy all night.
The palate is similar with a rich entry but orange peel balances out the cherry compote with acid and tannins emerging midpalate to remind you it's a Chianti and add a bit of rustic, followed by a sweetness and finish that goes on for minutes.
Paired with meat balls in marinara sauce over bucatini turned this into an elegant stunner that took a simple meal to new heights.
Decanted for two hours prior to consumption, only wish I had another...
April 7, 2024 - A impressive nose with deep dark cherry and florals. Cherries and minerals on the palate. Mostly resolved with tannins sneaking up at the finish and fully enjoyable.
April 3, 2024 - Drinking nicely, good acidity, sour cherry, very good but a bit flat.
March 28, 2024 - decanted 2 hours, in the glass for 2 more. one of the major attributes of this site is the ability to get guidance from palates you trust; in this instance, the prior two notes from reliable drinkers yielded great results; aeration was key to achieve aromatic dynamics.
the penultimate bottle from a case purchased on release, fully resolved & showing consistently with previous bottles, deeply colored for its age, weedy, wild sour cherry, demonstrative acidity; will endure but not necessarily improve from here. choose an appropriate accompaniment for optimal enjoyment.
pan-roasted black pepper-crusted prime strip; garlicky escarole & white beans in caesar vinaigrette
February 21, 2024 - PnP. The last of a case purchased just after release. Still managing decent freshness with a pleasant med/med+ body and an admixture of secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors. Elegant with a nice kiss of soil in each glass; a bit monochrome at times. Still some (solid) years ahead. 13,5% abv. In its current state, it's recommended
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February 4, 2024 - The best bottle yet from a lot I grabbed at auction a few years ago. Felsina, and Rancia in particular, can be a little four square and blocky to my palate. This bottle was much more seamless and supple than previous bottles. Rancia also generally has darker shades of fruit and this was no exception. Plenty of leather and spice complexity. Starting to enter a really good spot and should stay here for a while. Double decanted and consumed at a restaurant about 2 hours later.
January 15, 2024 - Drinking beautifully. Decanted, and needed it -- took more than an hour to open up, but when it did it showed lots of power and complexity while still being balanced and nicely mature. Looked (and tasted) much younger than its age. Still full of stuffing, and can continue to improve with age. Great stuff.
December 28, 2023 - Wow! Drink by 2025
December 2, 2023 - Extraordinarily long cork. Decanted 30 minutes. Still dark. Nose of tobacco and herbs and dark red fruits. Deeply fruited on the palate with concentrated sour cherry - very convincing presence on the mid palate - there is no let up in the flavor profile. A darker fruit flavor spectrum coming from fully ripe fruit. Medium plus weight. Tangy finish from bright acid and slightly dry tannins which show up quite late. The acid gives a mineral note. Really good length. Quite a lot of tannic clout on the back end - tho this relaxed after time in the glass. I find it a bit monolithic and lacking in nuance and layers of flavor but I think this is what you sign up for with this wine. It is no ballerina. It did show a bit more interest after an hour, but this particular vintage is surely needs a bit more time. Or a two hour decant. There is unquestionably quality here. Bought on release.
And sure enough the next day there was more dimension on the palate.
October 27, 2023 - Absolutely loved this wine. True to its breed with a lot of runway ahead. Color dead on, no browning on the rim.