Last weekend I had one of my greatest tasting ever !!

Here are the notes from a friend of mine. I lost my tasting notes :-(



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Yesterday we had a great Chianti Classico tasing at my place. Non of the
wines were served blind. Main goal of the evening: enjoy!! we had some
simple but great food to match the wines.. a great succes with an incredible
end...
Once again has been proved that Chianti is a great wine. The best Chianti's
from the best years can become simply terrific when you give them time...
here are my notes...

1996 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti,
Chianti Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
Color is staring to get bricky.
In the nose there are some nice autumntones with dark fruit, some animal
tones and forest. the wine is rather high in acids, but enough fruit to
balandce that. soft tannins. nothing spectatcular, just a fine glaas of
Chianti (88 pts.)

1996 Le Filigare Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti
Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
Powerful nose with stable and leather. In the mouth the alcohol is a bit too
pronounced, on the other hand.. it gives a nice wrmth to the wine. This wine
has more finesse than power. enough fruit (berry, forest fruits)and acidity
to make it a very pleasant wine. (89 pts.)

1985 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Montesodi Castello di
Nipozzano - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Rufina (9/10/2006)
This wine proves that a great Chianti in a great year can age absolutely
amazing. What a wine.
a terrific nose of leather, tobacco, blood, and a great amount of dark
fruits. you keep on smelling in.
Lots of fruit in the mouth, blackberries, raspberries and some nice herbs. a
bit strawberry delivers some nice sweetness. hint of chocolate. great
acidity and perfect soft tannin structure.
combines power and finesse, with the emphases on finesse. (95 pts.)

1988 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Vigneto Bellavista - Italy, Tuscany,
Chianti, Chianti Classico (9/10/2006)
This is now the third time I drank this wine and everytime it is great.
Also this nose is great and promising. and it delivers. Aristocratic wine
with tcling berries, raspberries and other dark fruits. a litlle bit less
power than the montesodi. in perfect balance. finish a bit shorter than the
montesodi, but hey.... who cares really.. great stuff!! (93 pts.)

1990 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia - Italy,
Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
Is this wine really 16 years old???? Man what a wine, and what a future
still ahead.. It is as great as the montesodi, but there is a good chance it
will surpass it with time.
beautifull dark color. the very divers kinds of fruits deliver a great
combination of acidity and sweetness. already very nicely integrated
tannines (room for improvement here).
and what a finish... terrific. (95 pts.)

1990 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Fontalloro Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany,
Toscana IGT (9/10/2006)
Well, what can I say... I sat down with the glass and could hardly set my
mind to write notes. the best 1990 fontalloro so far. always great but this
was amazing.
Everything in place. finesse combined with power. sweet fruit combined with
berries. some slifghtly tertiar notes combined with great acidity....
what a joy.... (96 pts.)

2001 Le Cinciole Chianti Petresco Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti
(9/10/2006)
well, this is a young Chianti Riserva and so we had to switch from those
well evolved wines to wines that need a little time.
this is a promising Chianti.
It combines typical Chianti fruits with nice herbs, bayleaf. this will
evolve.. the wine is in search of balance..but it will find it in a year or
3. (90 pts.)

2001 Il Molino de Grace Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti,
Chianti Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
If you see this bottle in a shop and you don't know it, you will not buy
it... what a dreadful label....but hey!! what a nice wine.
a very nice nose that offers a lot, but not in large quantities; I think a
bit closed yet.
This is a very soft rich Chianti. Made on finesse. nice light fruit. lots of
acidity and tnnanis that need to find their balance, but it is clear that
this is serious Chianti. very enjoyable now, but in this rating I added 1
point for potential. (91 pts.)

2000 Caparsa Chianti Classico Riserva Doccio a Matteo - Italy, Tuscany,
Chianti, Chianti Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
Well, at this stage of the evening my notes were very short...
This is a very good Chianti with a lot of power.will be better in 2 or 3
years. (90 pts.)

1997 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio - Italy,
Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico Riserva (9/10/2006)
Well, well ,well..... ehat have we here...
This is just my Chianti. Il Poggio is always one of my favorites, and after
this bottle I think the battle has been won.. Monsanto rules...and Il Poggio
is the emperor of Chianti.
This is the wine of which you simply cannot imagine that it will ever die.
This will hit summit after summit...
At this stage it is young and powerful but well directed power, nothing
overdone, everything is on its place now, for thsi somewhat younger stage of
the wine. Now the acidity slightly overrules the fruit, but in a pleasant
way. In a few years, when the acidity has soften down, maybe the
tanninstructure will be more on the front, who knows. or the fruit? all
kinds of fruit, name it, concentrate on it and taste it.. amazing. You wnat
a bit of chocolatë? it is there. some herbs? in it as well....
sweet fruits, more acid fruits, nice warm forest fruits...need I go on?
do yourself a favour and buy some bottles if you can find them... years of
joy guaranteed. (97 pts.)


1991 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano - Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano,
Vin Santo di Montepulciano (9/10/2006)
OUT OF THIS WORLD!! 3060 halves produced and this was one of them....
What an amazing stuff.. tasted some other vintages before but this is by far
the best so far.
Caramel color, very brown. the 1987 I tasted was much lighter. but the
taste...
You are blown out of your socks with an incredible caramel, toffee, dried
fruits, roasted walnut, roasted almond, the sweetness and, and,, well...
just by everything.
This is a wine that brings tears to my eyes. how on erth can thsi be made by
only using grapes???
What a thickness, what a structure... we were with six people, we all had a
bit of it. a good amount and there is still left in the bottle. you just
cannot handle 2 glasses of this... and the finish??? well it just has no
finish.. it keeps on going.. I tasted it still when I went to bed......
I scored it 99. but now that I am typing this and thinking of that amazing
taste I wonder why not 100??? well... maybe... but who cares.. this is a
liftime memory.. the best wine I tasted so far.. EVER. (99 pts.)

Notes by P.Baartman