I wouldn't go so far as to call this one of the great Chiantis I've had in my life, but for the price it's definitely one that I would consider picking up at the store when I've got that desire for a Chianti or nostalgia takes me back to when I was first getting into wine, and it's versatility with food certainly doesn't hurt. If you're looking for a good Tuesday night wine to pair with pasta, you can do a lot worse than this, especially for the price, so it's …
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…Italian Wine Guy , discussing how many wonderfully pleasant and inexpensive Chiantis are available: "Anyone who has waited at a bar for a table in any number of Italian-American places knows there is a lot of crappy overpriced Chianti being poured. Probably one of the reasons why folks think the wine has seen better days. But this tasting, done blind, was different. The wines seemed to have a sense of place. Yeah, they were humble and every-day friendly. But they weren't pretending …
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I love Chianti Rufina. It's a region northeast of both the Chianti Classico region and indeed west of Firenze. It tends to be a little leaner, lighter in body, and crisper than Chiantis from the Classico region, and this one is true to its type. They can be extraordinarily food-friendly wines.
Bright color of spectrally-pure ruby. Fairly animated nose of crisp cherries and cherry liqueur, along with the prototypical Chianti minerally earthiness I refer to as "schisty gravel." …
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…about his methods of producing Vin Santo (which was excellent) and about all the different styles (as well as fermentation temperatures, which I won't bore you with). In addition to making fabulous wine, his wife gives cooking lessons at his estate (their daughters help out).
The opportunity to taste dozens of Vin Santos, Chiantis, and other classic Italian wines in one space and talk to such fabulous producers was priceless.
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…, which is, unsurprisingly, the larger region within which this town is located. Are there better Chiantis at this pricepoint? Maybe a few. But this is very tasty and also is a conversation piece because of its unusual appellation.
Dark ruby garnet. Very typically Chianti-like nose of dry gravelly/schisty earthiness infusing winey cherries. Bone dry in the mouth, with good acids and a cheek-coating dose of soft tannins. Flavors of dry leather and earthy chokecherries. Fairly-full…
…berry fruit and just the right amount of tangy finish for a Chianti. Better than many Chiantis I've tasted in the past. This certainly was a worthy bonus. Give it an 84.
The third wine was a 2009 William Knuttel Sonoma Pinot Noir " Epee Cuvee". Light to medium-bodied with earth tones and cherry flavors. A little flat but in the same league with Erath Pinot Noir at $15-$20 a bottle. Give it an 86.
So, so far, batting two for one. Not a bad batting average at all. …
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…those special occasions priced at less than most classed growths from Bordeaux and Chiantis for the more everyday choice - our own Berry's Chianti at little over a tenner truly is a bargain.'
Laura Atkinson, Sales & Service
‘ Tuscany offers such variety of styles and quality levels yet successfully remains true to traditional Italian values. Tuscan wines, as with many other areas throughout Italy, seem to show a crystal clear expression of soil, vine and grape. …
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We have very much appreciated this article by wine critic Taylor Eason .
When I look at wine lists in Italian restaurants, it's tragic that Tuscany's Chiantis are are so damn expensive. Even for the lowest " Chianti" classification ( what's this? ). I simply refuse to pay $ 40 restaurant pricing for something worth $ 15. So the other night, feeling the urge to spend more wisely, I ordered something a little different to pair with my savory red sauce, a Rosso di Montalcino.
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Some random Italian notes from my recent trip to Tuscany. With no real culture of producing sparkling wine in Tuscany, or sweet wine beyond Vin Santo, it is perhaps no surprise that my vinous appetite reached out to Umbria, Venezia Giulia, Piedmont and Veneto.
Having said that, the two Chiantis, from Rocca di Montegrossi and Castello di Ama, and the Umbrian wine - which is made by Antinori at
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…usual sort of quality to price problem that crops up with Napa wines. How many quality Chiantis can one get for less than this?
• Château Tour Coutelin 2007 ($20, purchased ): Well-done right-bank Bordeaux with much welcome earthiness, though more red fruit than I expected. Probably 5 or 6 Euros in France, which would make it a fine deal.
• Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc 2008 ($20, sample ): Solid, dependable basic chardonnay from Burgundy…