Michael Pinkus Wine Review - On the Road with the Grape Guy

Chianti Lovers 2017: Good Better Best

12 Feb 2017

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(February 12, 2017) ... TUSCANY - As a rule I do not score unfinished wines (aka: barrel samples), too much can go wrong between barrel and bottle that can compromise or otherwise change the wine that I have I tried straight out of barrel … the problem becomes when I have scored a wine from a barrel sample it can come back to bite me in the ass if the finished wine isn’t as I perceived it from barrel – so I have just stopped the practise all together.

Here at the Chianti Lovers tasting in Tuscany we get to taste a lot of unfinished wine to rate it’s potential for the future (we also get to taste a limited amount of wines that are “on sale” (or finished, bottled and on the market) … so below I will be rating the wines on future potential on a scale of Good – Better – Best ... plus at the very bottom of the page are some fully scored finished wines.

Good Potential

Cantine Bellini 2014 Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG
Cantine Bellini 2016 Chianti DOCG
Casa de Monte 2016 Chianti DOCG
Castello del Trebbio 2016 Chianti DOCG
Castello di Oliveto 2016 Chianti DOCG
Colognole 2015 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Fattoria Betti 2016 Chianti Montalbano DOCG
Fattoria Il Capitano 2014 Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG
Fattoria Lavacchio 2015 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Fattorie Giannozzi 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG
Le Leccia 2016 Chianti DOCG
La Querce 2016 Chianti DOCG
Marchesi Gondi – Tenuta Bossi 2015 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Podere Il Pozzo 2015 Chianti Rufina DOCG
Poggio del Moro 2014 Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva DOCG
Tenuta di Artimino 2016 Chianti Montalbano DOCG

Better Potential

Agricola La Svolta 2016 Chianti “Principio” DOCG
Azienda Agricola Lanciola 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG
Conte Guicciardini 2016 Chianti DOCG
Fattoria di Sammontana 2016 Chianti DOCG
Forconi Fabrizio – Podere dell’Anselmo 2014 Montespertoli Riserva DOCG
Guidi 1929 2016 Chianti DOCG
Tenuta San Jacopo 2016 Chianti DOCG

Best Potential

Agricola La Svolta 2016 Chianti “Familia”
Cantina Gentili 2016 Chianti DOCG
Castelvecchio 2016 Chianti DOCG
Fattoria Casalbosco 2016 Chianti DOCG
Fattoria San Fabbiano 2016 Chianti DOCG
Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi 2014 Chianti Riserva DOCG
Ruffino 2016 Chianti DOCG

Scored (Finished) Wines …

Fattoria Casalbosco 2014 Chianti Riserva DOCG … (*** ½)
Castelvecchio 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (****)
Fattoria di Bagnolo 2014 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (****)
Fattoria di Bagnolo 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (*** ½+)
Fattoria di Fiano 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (*** ½)
Fattoria San Michele a Torri 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (*** ½)
Malenchini 2015 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG … (*** ½+)
Poderi del Paradiso 2014 Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva DOCG … (*** ½+)
Poggiotondo 2015 Chianti Superiore DOCG … (*** ½)
Tenuta San Jacopo 2014 Chianti Riserva DOCG … (*** ½+)

Anteprime Toscana 2017: A Quick Look

11 Feb 2017

Details: Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(February 11, 2017) ... TUSCANY - Look, it's not the flashiest of the tastings to come, nor is it always the best wines ... it is not the Grand Tasting, the Grand Selection or does it get the Grand Room (though an old fortress ain't a bad place to taste: Fortezza da Basso) - sadly, and for lack of a better phrase, it's the ALSO-RAN tasting, those off regions and Consorzios where they are just starting to hit the radar of wine drinkers and those just "bubbling under" in terms of brand recognition ... But, let's face it, Bordeaux wasn't the top dog from the moment they made wine either, at some point some ancient wine scribe or raconteur said, "Hey, have you tried those wines from that French region ... (snaps his fingers trying to jog his memory) ... Bor-something ... you know, I see some real promise there, not always the best wines, but real promising stuff. (enthusaiastic snap) BORDEAUX, I knew I'd remember it." Think of this tasting as one of those moments.

As for the wines, I did not take a copious amount of notes on them - by the time these wines see our shores (in Canada) they'll most likely be onto another vintage - but if you come across these wines in your travels I would suggest picking up a bottle and giving it a try - these are the wines I liked from each particular region.

Wines of Cortona