Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Report from: Chianti Lovers Tasting – February 14, 2016


What a way to spend Valentine’s Day, tasting Chianti by the truck load … if my counting is right, or the numbering on the paper in front of me is right (meaning they didn’t skip any), then I have 183 Chianti wines to try – but I doubt that can be done in the few hours I have – so let’s take a look at a sampling.

This is the tasting of the Chianti’s that are part of the non-Classico areas: Chianti; Colli Arentini; Colli Fiorentini; Colli Senesi; Colline Pisane; Montalbano; Montespertoli and Rufina … all Chianti, all DOCG – just not Classico.

As mentioned, with about 183 wines to try and super slow service (at one point I got up to get my own bottles and was chastised for doing so … twice) … I only ended up trying 42 of the wines (over a 3 hour period) – definitely not my usual pace; but it was enough of a sampling to get a feel for each region and the wines / styles they are producing … plus I was even able to cobble together a top three.



All Chiantis were tasted blind, are DOCG from region indicated and in alphabetical order
(All scoring is out of 5 stars)

Three-and-a-Half Stars …
Azienda Agricola Il Ciliegio 2015 Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
Colognole 2015 Chianti DOCG
Fattoria Casabianca 2015 Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
Fattoria di Fiano 2013 Chianti DOCG - Riserva
Frascole 2013 Chianti Rufina DOCG - Riserva
Poggiotondo 2014 Chianti Superiore DOCG
Tenuta Cantagallo e La Farnete 2013 Chianti Montalbano DOCG - Riserva
Tenuta Il Palazzo 2015 Chianti DOCG
Tenuta Tresanti 2015 Chianti Montespertoli DOCG

Three-and-a-Half PLUS Stars …
Azienda Agricola Castel di Pugna 2015 Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
Azienda Agricola La Cignozza 2015 Chianti DOCG
Campochiarenti 2015 Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
Fattoria Lavacchio 2015 Chianti DOCG
Fattoria Lavacchio 2014 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Fattoria Lavacchio 2013 Chianti DOCG - Riserva
La Querce 2014 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG
Mannucci Droandi 2015 Chianti Colli Aretini DOCG
Tenuta di Morzano 2013 Chianti Montespertoli DOCG - Riserva
Tenuta Il Palazzo 2013 Chianti DOCG - Riserva

Four Stars …
Azienda Agricola Montechiaro 2015 Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
Castello di Gabbiano 2015 Chianti DOCG
Colognole 2014 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Fattoria Lavacchio 2013 Chianti Rufina DOCG - Riserva
Fattoria San Fabiano 2014 Chianti Superiore DOCG
Guidi 1929 2015 Chianti DOCG

Four PLUS Stars …
Guidi 1929 2013 Chianti DOCG – Riserva
Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi 2013 Chianti Rufina DOCG - Riserva


Top Three Wines of My Tasting …
Actually pretty obvious from the above notes but the third might not be:

Guidi 1929 2013 Chianti DOCG – Riserva
Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi 2013 Chianti Rufina DOCG - Riserva
Guidi 1929 2015 Chianti DOCG

Special mention of my top producers …
I really enjoyed the wines from Guidi 1929 they had consistent quality (and proved it again a few days later in San Gimignano); the other producer did not become as obvious until I started typing up these notes: Fattoria Lavacchio, making the list 4 times.

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My Valentine’s Day dinner was spent with Jamie Drummond of Good Food Revolution at a little Osteria in “downtown” Florence

We were looking for a different place,
but got "lost" and stumbled upon this one
A look in the window and you would think you were anywhere;
Tourist trap? - Maybe ... but the food was good
Meats and cheeses - fresh warm bread - local olives
How in the world can this be bad?  Answer: It wasn't
- This one's for my Podcasting partner in crime -
Yes Andre they still have this for the tourists ...
We finished 3 or 4 of these ... we lost count.


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