I decanted off the sediment and took to a local restaurant for dinner. The bottle seemed sound when I decanted it, but with air, a faint whiff of cork taint emerged. Just enough on the nose to detract from the wine. A couple others at the table didn't detect it. Underneath, this was going to be a pretty solid bottle of Chianti. Unfortunately, my last bottle.
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Served blind. This showed very well, and I think it has plenty of time left if we’ll kept. The wine has a little rubber on the nose, which led me to Nebbiolo, but the satiny texture and luxardo cherry point to brunello. This was beginning to peak in my opinion
The ‘98 is drinking beautifully, and it suffered only from being placed so close to the ‘95 and ‘99. On any other day, I believe this wine would be turning heads with its dark and earthy bouquet of ripe strawberry, florals and cedar. On the palate, I found soft textures with spicy, dark red fruits and hints of mushroom. With time in the glass, it lost some of its persistence on the palate, yet still showed strong, finishing long on dried cherry and hints of earthy funk.
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Not in perfect condition. Slightly more advanced than one would expect. Very typical of Chianti Classico. Rather more elegant than powerful. This particular bottle a bit lacking on the mid-palate.
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At The Sun Inn Dedham - £51 from the list. No formal note. Expressive, developed nose with sour red cherry, notes of soil and truffle. Medium full bodied, tannins are fine, intense savoury red fruit, soil and slight meaty notes, lovely vibrant acidity carries a very good length, harmoniuos finish. This was lovely, drinking well but showing no signs of abating.
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lovely wine, aged nose of tar, earth and some dried cherries, dusty tannins, mint, and spices are present in the palate. well balanced with a long finish.
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Tobacco, earth, and cedar dominate. Dark fruit and raisins on the finish. I assumed this was past its prime. However, plenty of structure and fruit left. This was excellent for a winter Italian meal.
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Fontodi Vertical Dinner (Acquerello, San Francisco): Nose of saddle leather, animale, earth, with a grainy quality. Very dark fruit in the mouth, just starting to show tertiary development. Chewy tannins that still need to resolve further. This was really nice.
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Nice wine, but relatively narrow window of time to consume. Closed until open for ~20 to 30 min, then closes down again (and loses fruit) after 1hr or so. Some moments of great explosiveness/structure/fruit all coming together (these moments would rate ~93 or so), but overall a 91. Nice tannins throughout
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Color of medium brick with brickish edges; nose was closed for the most part with a bit of opening after an hour or so; palate had oak, fruit with a good finish. Maybe some minerals or something like that...nice structure. This wasn't the best of the 98s that I've had.
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Did not decant. After three hours the color was medium to dark red; nose had some petrol (?), cherry and oak; palate had a velvety feel, smooth, tannins, everything nicely integrated with a nice finish.
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This continues to be my favorite Chianti. Upon opening the was oak and leather on the nose; the color was light strawberry jam-like; the palate had bursts of fruit, then tannins, with a nice finish. This was balanced and soft right away. No decanting. Poured from the bottle. Two hours after opening there was dark cherry flavors on the palate. Had with manicotti. The next day I finished the bottle (out of a 375) and it seemed closed. I'm not sure how many more years this will be good.
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Lovely purple color, with a nose that is heavier on the fur-blood-earth notes than I usually get in a Chianti. In the mouth, this is a very clean, angular wine, with very sweet up front red and black berry fruit, and only a touch of oak. However, it also comes across as a bit lighter in weight than I expected, without much of a mid-section to speak of. Finish is nice, but it sort of disappears in the mouth.
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3/15/2024 - Outplaying wrote: flawed
I decanted off the sediment and took to a local restaurant for dinner. The bottle seemed sound when I decanted it, but with air, a faint whiff of cork taint emerged. Just enough on the nose to detract from the wine. A couple others at the table didn't detect it. Underneath, this was going to be a pretty solid bottle of Chianti. Unfortunately, my last bottle.
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2/11/2024 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
in a good spot with elegant integration
enjoyed by all at vistro prime
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8/1/2021 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Served blind. This showed very well, and I think it has plenty of time left if we’ll kept. The wine has a little rubber on the nose, which led me to Nebbiolo, but the satiny texture and luxardo cherry point to brunello. This was beginning to peak in my opinion
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7/13/2019 - RWG Likes this wine: 89 Points
tasty aged chianti. Probably not much longer left to go here, so drink up. nice flavor profile, cherries and graphite.
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5/15/2019 - RWG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice balanced vintage rioja. opaque, drinking well, you can taste the age. creamy, slightly sour but in a nice way. Cherries.
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7/1/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
The ‘98 is drinking beautifully, and it suffered only from being placed so close to the ‘95 and ‘99. On any other day, I believe this wine would be turning heads with its dark and earthy bouquet of ripe strawberry, florals and cedar. On the palate, I found soft textures with spicy, dark red fruits and hints of mushroom. With time in the glass, it lost some of its persistence on the palate, yet still showed strong, finishing long on dried cherry and hints of earthy funk.
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6/21/2014 - elledeca wrote:
Plum, cherry and sweet spices, mouth a bit disjointed, still tannic and with strong acidity. Will it mellow?
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5/10/2014 - Vlens wrote: 89 Points
Not in perfect condition. Slightly more advanced than one would expect. Very typical of Chianti Classico. Rather more elegant than powerful. This particular bottle a bit lacking on the mid-palate.
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2/25/2011 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
At The Sun Inn Dedham - £51 from the list. No formal note. Expressive, developed nose with sour red cherry, notes of soil and truffle. Medium full bodied, tannins are fine, intense savoury red fruit, soil and slight meaty notes, lovely vibrant acidity carries a very good length, harmoniuos finish. This was lovely, drinking well but showing no signs of abating.
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1/29/2011 - angryphoton wrote: 92 Points
lovely wine, aged nose of tar, earth and some dried cherries, dusty tannins, mint, and spices are present in the palate. well balanced with a long finish.
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10/12/2009 - Happybob wrote: 91 Points
Not quite up to the 98 or 97, but quite good - complexity, finish, structure, fruit (only after ~1 hr open).
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1/3/2009 - bk wrote: 91 Points
Tobacco, earth, and cedar dominate. Dark fruit and raisins on the finish. I assumed this was past its prime. However, plenty of structure and fruit left. This was excellent for a winter Italian meal.
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4/23/2008 - 5laton wrote:
Fontodi Vertical Dinner (Acquerello, San Francisco): Nose of saddle leather, animale, earth, with a grainy quality. Very dark fruit in the mouth, just starting to show tertiary development. Chewy tannins that still need to resolve further. This was really nice.
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9/23/2007 - Happybob wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine, but relatively narrow window of time to consume. Closed until open for ~20 to 30 min, then closes down again (and loses fruit) after 1hr or so. Some moments of great explosiveness/structure/fruit all coming together (these moments would rate ~93 or so), but overall a 91. Nice tannins throughout
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4/7/2007 - marka wrote: 89 Points
Color of medium brick with brickish edges; nose was closed for the most part with a bit of opening after an hour or so; palate had oak, fruit with a good finish. Maybe some minerals or something like that...nice structure. This wasn't the best of the 98s that I've had.
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2/24/2007 - marka wrote: 90 Points
Did not decant. After three hours the color was medium to dark red; nose had some petrol (?), cherry and oak; palate had a velvety feel, smooth, tannins, everything nicely integrated with a nice finish.
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8/23/2006 - marka wrote: 91 Points
This continues to be my favorite Chianti. Upon opening the was oak and leather on the nose; the color was light strawberry jam-like; the palate had bursts of fruit, then tannins, with a nice finish. This was balanced and soft right away. No decanting. Poured from the bottle. Two hours after opening there was dark cherry flavors on the palate. Had with manicotti. The next day I finished the bottle (out of a 375) and it seemed closed. I'm not sure how many more years this will be good.
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11/20/2005 - SteveHyde wrote:
Lovely purple color, with a nose that is heavier on the fur-blood-earth notes than I usually get in a Chianti. In the mouth, this is a very clean, angular wine, with very sweet up front red and black berry fruit, and only a touch of oak. However, it also comes across as a bit lighter in weight than I expected, without much of a mid-section to speak of. Finish is nice, but it sort of disappears in the mouth.
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