Selected Chianti Classico Wines

Chianti wines suffer from an image problem here in the United States. The consumer perception of low quality, fueled by an ocean of cheap Chianti in reed-wrapped bottles has hurt sales. Within Chianti the need was recognized to educate consumers in order to change their perception. Millions of bottles of the cheap stuff still make it here, but there's another side to the region, a more serious side. *cue serious music*

Without getting too deep into Italian wine law, it's important to note that there exist several regions within Chianti, and the one we are discussing here, Chianti Classico, is one of the most significant. Within Chianti Classico lie the historical boundaries of the region, as originally laid out in the mid 1800's.

Right now, there are several grape varieties allowed in the production of Chianti (and Classico) wines. Sangiovese is the dominant, as you probably already knew. In fact, it only recently became legal to produce a Chianti with 100% Sangiovese. Since 1996, the blend for Chianti and Chianti Classico has been 75-100% Sangiovese, up to 10% Canaiolo, and up to 20% of any other approved red grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah. White grapes are currently banned for use in Chianti wines.

Touching on the aging and alcohol regulations for a moment, Chianti Classico must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 12% with a minimum of 7 months aging in oak, while Chianti Classico's labeled Riserva must be aged at least 27 months at the winery, with a minimum alcohol level of at least 12.5%.

Ironically the quality control issue reared its head with regard to the samples of Chianti Classico I received. Out of maybe 9 bottles, two were badly corked, two had serious Brettanomyces contamination, and one smelled of nail polish remover. Those of course did not get reviewed, but it's clear still more work is needed in the cellars.

2008 Volpaia "Coltassala" Chianti Classico: Warm oak tones dominate the nose at first, overshadowing more subtle aromas of red fruit, herbs, and red earth. On the palate, medium acid and soft tannin work nicely with tart red cherry and plum skin, dried herb, and a finish of smokey game meat. The acidity really shows through on the finish too, where it creates a nice drying effect, readying the palate for another bite of food. *Highly Recommended* 13.5% abv. $50.

2008 Riserva di Fizzano Chianti Classico Riserva: The nose has a lot less oak than the preceding wine, but replaces that with a dominant confection/cherry and dry leather thing. Some VA is present too, but it's not distracting and adds a rustic air to the palette of aromas. Flavors of red soil, tart cranberry, dried herbs and spices, and oak barrel all meld together to create a pleasingly complex, dry Chianti. This has a lot of structure and is just a baby, but has also some great potential. 14.5% abv. $30. *Recommended*




2010 Felsina "Berardenga" Chianti Classico: Oak and soft black cherry notes jumped out at me right away. I also picked up red Jolly Rancher and pepper notes. This, just by the smell, seemed like a very young wine. It's dry and soft on the palate, with plenty of tannin that partially obscures tart red fruit, peppery spice, cinnamon, and soil flavors. I suspect this is a wine to either decant now or just wait a few years on. Great acidity should hold everything together for several more years. 13.5% abv. $18.

2008 La Porta di Vertine Chianti Classico Riserva: Shows some brett in the form of smoked meat and band-aid, also some dark fruit - think black cherry and plum. Out of the four I opened, this had the most black fruit compared to the redder orientation of the previous wines. It's also got some considerable oak influence from the mocha notes I picked out too. Nice drying tannin but a curious lack of acidity left me somewhat confused. There isn't much on the palate beyond bitter grape stem and more mocha notes. Somewhat disappointing. 14.5% abv. $50.





The above wines are not cheap, save for the Felsina, which is very reasonably priced for the quality. The more I thought about these wines, the more I concluded that they are not QPR winners by any means, but that a couple of them were quite good and the 2008 Volpaia was excellent. Still, as a wine lover and someone who spends a significant portion of his income on wine, I still cannot say I would buy Chianti Classico over a Brunello di Montalcino or Barbaresco. On the other hand, if you are smitten with Italian wines, these could be very reasonable prices to get wines which are, according to the law, higher in quality.

These wines were media samples.

Beau Carufel

Italian Wine from Winepassionate.com

WinePassionate.com is a relative newcomer to the internet-wine-sales-scene. That hasn't stopped them from assembling a good selection of wine from Italy, Chile, California, and Argentina. Right now the focus appears to be Italy, with a range of wines from all across the "boot", and I think that's a good thing. Pricing is another nice part of the winepassionate.com site, with the wines ranging from about $8 all the way up to $46. They recently reached out to me with the offer to try a couple of their wines.

Aglianico is one of those obscure grapes that has a lot of history but not many wine drinkers in the U.S. drinking it. Sure, there are the ever-growing cadre of wine geeks who do seek it out, but the general public doesn't seek it out with any regularity. Perhaps that should change, just the way riesling went from relatively obscure to the darling of sommeliers (hint: it makes their jobs easier) all over this country.

When the chance to sample an aglianico came up, I was eager to get my hands on it. This one, a 2010 by Pandiani, is from the island of Sicily. It saw no oak, instead spending six months in steel tanks before being released. Aromas of dusty soil, currants, and plums waft up from the glass. The palate is nice, with well-integrated tannin, spices, ripe fruit, and enough acidity to keep the "flab" factor from coming into play. I paired it with some pulled pork sandwiches and that worked out beautifully. This aglianico is on special for only $12 right now, if you're interested click here to buy. (I make no money from any sales made, just FYI)

As Jay-Z says, "on to the next one..." and so it goes. I was also sent a $46 bottle of wine from La Sala. It's a Super Tuscan, which tells us that this wine contains grapes other than sangiovese, and is from Tuscany. In the case of the 2007 La Sala Campo All'Albero, 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% sangiovese. After 12 months in small French oak barrels, the Campo All'Albero underwent an additional six months aging in bottle before being released.

"So what?", you might say. And rightfully so. Often that kind of aging information is meaningless without some context. Consider this then: we know cabernet sauvignon, when young, is a brute and needs oak to mellow out it's tannin and acid levels. Sangiovese can be the same way, therefore it's wise to age Super Tuscan style wines in oak barrels for some time before you release them.

We can therefore conclude that this wine, while from tannic grapes, will have the benefit of almost five years of age and some of that time in oak. Accordingly, I found the La Sala to have aromas of roasted nuts, oak, pepper, red currant, and cherry. On the palate it's still youthful, with tannin that firmly keeps the ripe fruit flavors in place. Nicely balanced and with a pleasantly drying finish, I kept wanting veal or other red meat.

$46 isn't cheap, and as you can see, this wine didn't blow me away, but it's damn good stuff and compares favorably to Super Tuscans that cost twice as much. If you're interested, click here to purchase. (Again, I make nothing from any sales)

In time, I hope the WinePassionate.com team expands their selection, with the caveat that it continues to focus on smaller brands not always available here. They can fill a great niche, given a bigger list from. Oh and they do a neat thing where every four bottles equals free shipping. It's a great way to spend under $50 and get four bottles of delicious wine, like the 2010 Pandiani Aglianico.

These two wines were media samples from the website.

Beau Carufel

Who Makes Sangiovese in the Columbia Valley?! Cana's Feast!

What is Cana's Feast, you ask? A winery of course, one with a tasting room in the Willamette Valley, next to the Carlton Winemakers Studio. I say this because I literally spent five minute at Cana's Feast picking up this sample, then had to run back out to the van to continue the epic Willamette Century Club Extravaganza that I'd embarked upon earlier in the day.

Fast forward six weeks or so, when I (finally) decided to open this Sangiovese to see what it was all about. Most, in fact all the Sangiovese I'd previously tasted was from either Italy (duh) or California. Both regions can produce some wonderful wines, the Italians of course make Brunello di Montalcino, which may in fact be the greatest wine ever.

2007 Cana's Feast Sangiovese Grosso Columbia Valley

 

From the Ciel du Cheval vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington State, Cana's Feast winemaker Patrick Taylor created a well balanced Sangiovese that showcases a side of the varietal we rarely experience. Different, but in a good way, from Italian or California examples, I was pleased to taste something off the beaten track. There is so much good wine in the world, and there seems to be too little time to taste it all! 

The Sangiovese Grosso poured into my glass with a ruby hue and a center of red brick. Following my usual tasting process, I opened the wine an hour before tasting it and used my Wine Soiree to pour about 3 ounces into the tasting glass.

Ripe cherries, hints of smoke and earth, along with some toasty vanilla all rushed out at me. Compared to a Chianti, where I often taste the cherries but get sharper, more acidic notes, the Cana's Feast was veering in a different direction entirely.

What made this wine very, very good was it's mouthfeel. There was such great texture, I felt it washing across my tongue in wave after wave. Vibrant acidity introduced me to red cherries and hints of raspberry before giving way to some earthy, oaky flavors that added welcome complexity. Notes of herb and cedar seemed to weave in and out, almost between the other flavors. You get a sense this wine is expressing terroir the only way it can, by joyously shouting it at your palate!

The finish also got me excited, the way it tapered away without lingering for too long. Sometimes a wine's finish lasts so long that you're hesitant to take that next bite of food or that next sip. Not with the Cana's Feast Sangiovese, which finished quickly but elegantly.

Using Google, I found prices from $30 to $44 for the Sangiovese. The cheapest price seemed to be on the Cana's Feast website shopping cart, but that required some complex navigating for me at least. I give this wine a B+, it really impressed me and is a worthy addition to your cellar. A BUY recommendation and a suggestion of pairing it with something fun like grilled, marinated skirt steak or even some grilled portobello mushrooms.

You can follow Cana's Feast on twitter by clicking here. If you're up in Carlton, stop by and check out the winery, it's a Tuscan-inspired Villa where you can have lunch with dishes created to highlight the local produce and Cana's Feast wines. Next time I'm in Oregon, I'm going to stop in and get the full experience.

This wine was given to me as a press sample.

Beau Carufel