2005 Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda, DOCG Chianti Classico Riserva
This was my second Tuscan wine in as many days. Let's hope this one isn't a dud. This bottle is a bit pricier than I normally drink, so already, my hopes were high. I believe this is 100% sangiovese - if not, the remainder is all indigenous varietals. Should be classic southern Italian.
Dark colour, with great saturation to the rim. Quite a powerful nose of dark fruits, berries. It was throwing off a lot of cedar notes, with this strange mustiness. I was convinced that it wasn't corked, so I decanted. I was right - the repulsive oakiness blew off after about 2 hours. It develops a richness, and a smokey and meaty character - it's quite savoury in fact. Good complexity and ripeness. No doubt a 2005.
In the mouth, there's good weight, with a sweetness that reminds of merlot, or some kind of Bordeaux-style blend. Good fruit, with enough earthiness to keep things interesting. Very fine, well-integrated tannins. Lingering finish.
Not a bad wine at all, but again I ask - what bit of this wine tells you that it's a Chianti, or even a southern Italian wine? I'm getting impatient with paying a lot for these homogenous wines, no matter how technically correct they may be. Not everyone has to be French to be interesting you know!
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