Felsina rocks!

I went to Chianti about 5 years ago and LOVED some of the wines. Since then, I feel like it’s been getting harder and harder to find good wines from there in the 10-15$ range. (or impossible)

This brings me to a different point… do you think wine prices are inflating everywhere? I used to think it was some of the more popular value play variatles that were going up as a fad. But now I’m thinking it’s all wine. Either that or my palet is just getting stronger and more discerning (I’m 26 and have been into wine for about 5 years). I know there are still good values in the $18-$30 but it seems like the idea of a value play $10 is getting very hard to find.

I am not really feeling it with Chianti so much these days. There are a few producers I can get into, but for the price I’d rather have a solid Bordeaux Superieur. I could be off here, but, It seems for the high end top notch Italian wines you have to spend more then you do with similar quality French wines… ???

Gary: No offense, but this show seemed rushed.

QOTD: I like chianti, and I think top level chianti can be a deal when compared to brunello.

Frank Family makes a killer Sango that’s almost exclusively available from their website. Sells out fast!

Wow, from out of the woodwork comes a real Eyetalian expert!

Chianti tastings in general are tough, with the wines I would drink to enjoy at home typically show so sour and tannic when served back to back like this. Chianti is just not a wine for contemplation outside of the table at any quality or style.

However, there is Chianti which genuinely excites me, and that is wines like Bucerchiale and Quattrocentenario which are made from old vines of rare Sangiovese clones, and bring some flavours to the table that cannot be copied by other wines, anywhere. Relative to their peers in Tuscany and Italy in general these wines(sub $50) are screaming value for those unafraid of the esoteric.

The key phrase is “similar quality” – which is subjective. Do you go by a critic such as The Wine Advocate’s Antonio Galloni (who reviews Italian wines) and Robert Parker (who reviews Bordeaux) and compare (for instance) two wines that each scored 94 points? In most cases, the Bordeaux would be far more expensive. But in other French areas, you could be correct – there are simply too many factors and variables (such as supply & demand, etc) to take into account for the comparison to be meaningful. In wine, as in most things in life, you get what you pay for.

GV you are on point like D Rose. I love love love Chianti. Sausage Pizza and Chianti-nuff said.

Gotta agree with you on most of the Chianti out there and with so many other great Italian varietals to try instead it’s easy to pass.

“Have mercy, been waitin for the bus all day.
I’ve got my brown paper bag and my take home pay.” -ZZ Top

QOTD: Chianti. Been so long sense I’ve had a remarkable one I can’t remember where. A tasting I think.

Love it! Tried it first on the Chianti Road at an old Grandpa’s vino/olio farm. Can’t go for the real expensive now that I’m back in USA but I would want a 20 dollar bottle to be spot on! Love so many kinds of pizzas….we make our own European style…ie. thin crust great mozzarella, but i love bbq chx pizza, marguerite, sausage, NO Seafood or olives please!!!

QOTD – First wine I had was Chianti. In the freshman dorms I went all out for the wine in the basket. I loved it and and after emptying the bottle I turned it into a bad drip candle holder. Needless to say I’m glad I outgrew that stage of my life.

Love the blind tasting episodes!! Delighted in seeing you nail it with each wine.

QOTD: I used to steer clear of chianti..not sure why? But I have been trying to expand my pallet and was surprised to learn that I actually enjoy it alot. I’ve bought like 3 or 4 bottles in the last couple of weeks and have not been dissapointed with any of them.
Morrison’s move in the Rumbe was sick if you havn’t seen it, check it out!!

are you referring to the Castello della Paneretta Quattrocentenario or a diff maker?

+1 (see earlier post!)

Peoples need to be tryin’ more chianti classico. If you haven’t found one you like, you haven’t really tried. Just avoid the cheapest stuff. And avoid all the Ruffino garbage. Spend 15-25 on a bottle and you will start to find GOOD stuff. Felsina, Monsanto, Paneretta, Il Poggione, etc. and most of these are widely available. Come on!

Love seeing the brown bags! Sad that the Chianti didn’t preform well. I think Kmurph is slipping….lol.

QOTD: Not a huge Chianti fan, but was hoping to see something on here to try. No dice there. Any recommendations despite your feelings on Chianti as a whole?

Got to love that line in the movie!

Try to figure where that one goes…

QOTD: To Be honest, in my experience people buying Chianti today in the retail sector fall in to 2 catagories / age groups. The super old, the folks who bought it when it was really good or (more commonly) there was not a lot of choice. They buy on nostalgia. And the early to 20s to 30s who have heard the good points of Chianti and the Super tuscans and are feeling a bit radical. In my opinion, me who falls in to neither catagory, I feel they need to get a grip and decide what way the DOCG needs to go. Do they become as strict as the French AOC restricting creativity or let anything go threatening the reputation of the region? I fall on the side of the AOC strictness, insuring the producers make the best wine they can keeping the sense of place and community.
Whoa, I need a glass of wine after that statement.
Peace

Did you know that in the book Lecter did not say Chianti but instead, Amarone?

Chianti thesis: there’s too much well-priced, well-made wine out there to be going for Chianti. “Everyday” wines can cost $10-15 and still be very enjoyable – think Nero d’Avola from Sicily or the many Portuguese reds that fall within this category. The majority of these and many others will be far superior to most similarly-priced Chianti’s.

I wasn’t feeling it this episode. I guess with the wine’s under-performance and the fact I just got out of class did it to me.

QOTD: I used to love Chianti Classico Riserva about 10 years ago…I haven’t drank it much as of late. I drink way more Montepulciano or other offerings from Italia.

Not sure if Sangiovese and Chianti are interchangeable but I really liked a 100% Sangiovese wine I had recently. It was clean pure and I like the minerality. It reminded me of salted sour-cherry juice or sweat tarts. If it were a musical instrument it would be the triangle. It was: 2009 Ceregio Sangiovese di romagna superiore, Fattoria Zerbina.

I had an expensive, ($22) chianti and I was not very impressed, though it was ok. That ‘s about all the Sangiovese wine I’ve had, but I like the sour minerality of them.