Querciabella Chianti Classico 2016, DOCG Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Sangiovese 100%

🤔 Alcohol 13.5%

🍁 My Score 93 Points 

🧩 Biodynamicaly farmed, Organic and Vegan wine

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The nose is rather intoxicating with aromas of cherries, pomegranate, forest fruit, violets, leather and light peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, lively flavours, silky tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is long with great energy with fruity and savoury flavours lingering.

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Classic Chianti Classico, simply does not get any better. The result of beautiful fruits grown and harvested at the vineyard, not over worked, letting the quality of the vintage express itself. An incredible well made, well balanced and elegant wine that was a joy to drink. I really like this label, for me it’s shows how Chianti and food, especially paired with Italian food elevate every meal to a delicious experience. I have twice enjoyed this wine in the last week, no bottle variation here. Both stunning 👌 Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico 2016, DOCG Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Sangiovese 85%
🍇 Merlot 15%

🧐 Alcohol 14.5%

🍁 My Score 91 Points

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A very inviting nose with aromas of cherries, blueberries, violets, forest floor, cedar and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, flavourful with fine grainy tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is long with flavours of sweet and sour fruit, earthy and spicy notes.

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With Merlot in a supporting role, compared to Italian indigenous varietals, this is a more muscular and structured Chianti. Don’t be worried, the Sangiovese definitely comes through, giving us that sweet and sour excitement I love from this varietal and gives us both power and elegance.  This Chianti should blossom in your cellar. I will definitely need to repurchase this Chianti, highly recommended. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

San Felice Chianti Classico 2016, Docg Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹

🍇 Sangiovese 80%

🍇 Colorino Del Valdarno 10%

🍇 Pugnitello 10%

🧐 Alcohol 13%

🍁 My Score 92 Points 

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Gorgeous, slightly rustic nose with aromas of cherries, plums, raspberries, tobacco, violets, underbrush and light baking spices. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, bright Sangiovese flavours with dusty tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is medium length with flavours of tart cherries, raspberries, oak and spices with a beautiful lift of acidity. 

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Attracted to this Chianti by the huge display advertising it’s #19 on WS top 100 of 2018 and at a cost of only $22.99. Worth the hype? You bet it was. 🙂 Well deserving of all the accolades. An elegant, well balanced, well integrated Chianti from a superb vintage. I like it so much that I requested my spouse to purchased another three bottles, then to see him return with a full case 🙉😜 I guess I am not the only one that really enjoyed it 😂 A very tasty Chianti experience. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Lornano Chianti Classico 2009, Docg Tuscany, Italy

 

 

This wine is 100% Sangiovese with maturation taking place in French oak for 12 months follow by 6 months in the bottle before being released with the alcohol at 14%.

 

Great vibrant nose on this Chianti, with aromas of red berry fruit, leather, floral notes and savoury spices. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, dry with sweet and sour edge flavours of berries, cherry and plum, lively acidity and fine dusty tannins. This wines finish is long, fresh and lively with excellent depth of flavours. Absolutely love this well made, traditional style of Chianti Classico and at this price it is a great value. Not to be missed for any lovers of Sangiovese based wines, score 90 points.

 

Purchased May 25, 2013 LCBO Vintages New Release (211599) at $16.95

Castello Di Bossi C. Berardenga Chianti Classico 2009, Docg Tuscany, Italy

This wine is 100% Sangiovese and opened up with aromas of red berries, plum, cedar, spices and light herbal note. On the mouthfeel, medium-bodied (with alcohol coming in at 14%) with a moderate structure, bright flavours, vibrant acidity and fine dusty tannins. This Chianti finish is medium length with good energy with a nice blend of sweet and sour fruit and spicy. Great wine at the table, excellent fruit-acid balance with carefully restrained oak maturation. My expectations were more than met here, delicious, score 89 points.

Purchased September 1, 2012 LCBO Vintages New Release (994608) at $22.95

Fontodi Chianti Classico 2008, Docg, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is made using 100% Sangiovese with maturation taking place in French Allier oak barrels and alcohol coming in at 14%.

This is certainly a serious example of Chianti Classico to be sure, from its dark opaque ruby color to its earthy bouquet with aromas of black cherry, plum, dried mushroom, tobacco, leather, oak spices and earthy/peaty notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, firm structure with grippy tannins and flavours dominated by oak characteristics. This Chianti finish is long and intense with very concentrated flavours of cherries and cedarwood plus those same grippy/chewy tannins lingering. I usually enjoy Chianti with pasta but this one calls for meat like steak or lamb. This wine is not quite ready for prime time yet, to do it justice, 3-5 years in your cellar would be beneficial. Great potential, score 89 points.

Purchased February 4, 2012, LCBO Vintages New Release (933317) at $29.95

Canonica A Cerreto Chianti Classico 2008, DOCG, Tuscany, Italy

Beautiful ruby in colour, this wine opened up with aromas of red cherry, plum, sweet spices, licorice, light cedar and savoury notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, juicy with good energy, lively acidity and dusty tannins. Good length on the finish with savoury and slightly spicy flavours lingering.

I enjoyed this wineries Chianti Classico Riserva 2007, but I think I preferred this wine better. With a more restrained use of oak, you get a purer expression of Sangiovese very flavourful and ready to drink. 10% Merlot was added to the Sangiovese, which helped this wine achieve the softness and juiciness that make it more approachable right now. Very good value, score 89 points.

Purchased September 1, 2012 LCBO New Release (283697) at $16.95

Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2009, Tuscany, Italy

I really struggled with this review. In total I bought 6 bottles of this Chianti and had already enjoyed four. I thought, I should write a review of this wine, it’s so good. I photographed bottle number 5, but unfortunately the wine was corked. I decided to take a chance, open number 6, it was even more corked than the previous bottle. This will not deter me from buying another bottle, the pure pleasure of this wine is worth the risk. At less in this jurisdiction, you can return a corked or faulty bottle for a full refund or exchange.  So, I will write this review based on the other four bottles which were consistently good, all four.

There is so much I like about this wine, from the very good 2007 vintage in Tuscany, this Chianti Classico is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Malvasia Nara. On the nose this wine opens up with aromas of cherry, plum, sundried tomato, soft leather, savoury herbs and herbal notes. On the palate, light to medium bodied, red berry fruit flavours, fresh acidity and soft silky tannins. Very good energy and length on the finish with plumy-red berry fruit flavours lingering. To be enjoyed with a tomato based pasta, pizza, or on its own, its that good. Strongly recommended and very good value for fans of a more traditional style of Chianti Classico. Score 90 points.

Purchased March 3, 2012 LCBO New Release (056952) at $18.95

Valiano Poggio Teo Chianti Classico 2006, Tuscany, Italy

This superb single vineyard Chianti Classico (100% Sangiovese grape) has got it all, a beautiful brilliant ruby color and a nose that is very Sangievese with aromas of cherry, plum, tobacco, leather and sweet toasty oak. The mouthfeel is well balanced by good fruit and oak structure, silky tannins and a lovely seam of acidity. A very nice long smooth texture and silky finish with a slight sour notes lingering. This is a very well made wine, well priced and very traditional style of Chianti Classico, strongly recommended. Score 90 points.

This wine was purchased November 26, 2011 LCBO New Release at $17.95

Fattorie Melini La Selvanella Chianti Classico 2005, Tuscany, Italy

A very traditional style of Chianti, very dry and complex aromatics of sour cherry, plums, cedar, licorice and leather. This medium bodied wine is well balanced with crisp acidity, dusty tannins and well managed alcohol at 13%. The finish is medium, dry with sour cherry,earthy, cedar and rustic. A definite food wine, but a very enjoyable one.

This bottle was a gift from very good friends, thank you Joanne and Antonio (Tony) .

I Sodi Chianti Classico Riserva 2006, Tuscany, Italy

I have enjoyed the last two vintages of this Chianti Classico Riserva and I admit, I did enjoy this one as well, but with some reservations . It had aromas of  black cherry, blackberry, licorice and leather. the palate is light on fruit, fresh acidity and drying tannins. Not as fresh as the previous vintage, too much oak, maybe? It could have been decanted I suppose, maybe it would have been better. The finish is medium length, smooth and ends with dusty tannins.

This wine was purchased through LCBO The Classics Collection of February 2011 at $ 29.00

Castello Del Trebbio Lastricato Chianti Rufina Riserva 2006, Tuscany, Italy

A little thin for a Chianti Riserva, but none the less a traditional style of Chianti from Tuscany, with a real sense of place. This wine has complex aromas of sweet plums, cranberries, violet and savoury spices. It’s medium bodied with sweet and sour flavours, mouth watering acidity and silky tannins. The finish is long, smooth and savoury. I enjoyed this wine was paired with a pasta dish of tomatoes, Italian sausage, roasted eggplant , goat cheese and fresh basil and it worked beautifully. Life is good.

This wine was purchased on May 14, 2011 LCBO New Release at $27.95

Isole E Olena Chianti Classico 2007, Tuscany, Italy

The 2007 Chianti Classico is absolutely delicious and very aromatic with plums, sour cherry, violet and cedar on the nose. This wine is light to medium body with refreshing acidity and drying tannins. The finish is long, spicy with a sweet and sour excitement, which I love about Sangiovese. A Chianti Classico with aging potential from a great vintage and a superb food companion.

This wine was purchased on February 5, 2011 LCBO New Release at $26.95