This little bottle has sat in the CWG wine fridge for almost 3 years, while not expensive originally (~$30) it did however have some cellaring ability that led me to keep it safe and sound. This wine use to be in the Chianti Classico classification but still a super tuscan I was hoping that this modestly priced wine from the huge producer (Antinori) would be a ‘hidden gem’. So what did we get?
A super Tuscan blend with an oaky nose and hints of ‘black’ fruit to start is what you get. Take that oak and make it leathery with a sniff of vanilla. The wine is ready to drink. The balance is there, the tannins pronounced but not too overwhelming. The fruit can be a bit subdued, not a bad indication of a wine I left too long. This is a bit surprising as this is only a 2003, young enough that it should still be fruit forward. Shame as almost everything else was spot on. Overall, a nice wine, worth the money and worth having a whirl if you can still get you hand on it. A pleasant surprise from such a large producer (which most know is never a plus for me).
The CWGSR is 88 out of 100. An almost perfect blend of the $$.