Not really a huge fan of Chianti. How can they use Cab and Merlot in the Chianti Classico blends? I thought that the wines that used those non-Italian varietals fell into the Super Tuscan IGT category rather than the Classico one.

I completely agree with you Gary… consequently I haven’t purchased a bottle of Chianti since 2009, and I very much like Chianti as a general comment, but this category lost its value IMO. My wife is from Italia and has been asking me for months why I haven’t picked up a batch of Chianti and I keep telling her it’s because I haven’t found anything that I felt was an acceptable value/quality ratio. If you haven’t noticed by now, I don’t buy anything unless I feel like I got a good value… i.e. today’s Cinderella two-bottle package was a pazzzz at $25.55 without the FS. I would rather buy three of these two-bottle packages @ $25.55 each if it included FS. I know, I’m a freak. I’m the same way in the exchange pits… I’d rather go an entire day without entering a single position (like today) and sit on the sidelines, to wait for what I feel is a good value.

Good to hear from you. The ’04 on Sunday was veeerry tasty… Thanks, again.

You seemed a little on edge my man. I hope things are cool.

QOTD: yeah I’ve had chianti and I find it okay. I don’t dislike it but I don’t really like it. It’s kind of like rc cola. Nothing wrong with the Royal Crown, but I don’t geek over it either.

If this is too brutal I understand, but I would love to see you do a whole week of shows on American wines but you can’t do the finger lakes, Cali, Oregon, or Washington. You’ve talked about other states coming around. I’d love to learn more about them.

Keep up the good work. I really, really appreciate it.

Yours,

B.S.

QOTD: totally avoid Chianti… maybe had too many cheap bottles when I started trying/buying wine.

You’d better take notes. Usually Mott links up and puts a dot on the bottom line which tells you which wine is unveiled and the name.

tight means short and rushed. Bring on OZ!

Chianti in general is more or less a no go for me, EXCEPT Riecine! Just had two 1995 Riecine 2 weeks ago and just fell in love again. Riecine rocks!

QOTD: Had it once and it was at this time the best red wine I had(don’t know the name, sorry!). But then I went to Greece/Santorini, where I discovered a nee bomb. It was Estate Argyros Mavrotragano from very old vines. It’s so marvellous and just two bottles left in the cellar ;(

I find Isole e Olena’s Chianti to be good and reliable, and their range of other wines is pretty stunning.

So would Gary without the cue-cards. ;-D

ALL wines are food wines. If the acidity is too high to be enjoyed without food, the wine is probably unbalanced anyway (except for acid-freaks). Probably 50% of the wine I drink in any given year is without food (or very little).

Hey, I’m old, I’ve been around, very wine-savvy and…oh, screw it – I guessed!!!

Well, Chianti DOCG states that a minimum of 80% Sangiovese is required. The remaining can be any grape (red or white) authorized for that specific region or sub-region. Classically local grapes such as Canaiolo and Colorino, but currently many use Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. In the past it was not unusual to use also white grapes like malvasia. The of course all of these grapes must come from vineyards within the authorized area of Chianti in terms of land and altitude.
For more information you may visit the official website http://www.chianticlassico.com/en/vino/disciplinare/ . Hope it helps !

yes, mavrotragano! 10 acres planted and anyone that gets the chance should spend the bones. Argyros is imported by Athenee in NYC, find it.

Gary called the felsina classic, not the Riscoli. Classic sangio is liter bodied more savory less extracted and generally will stick to the classic tuscan varietals… if that helps.

QOTD: Chianti: never been a huge fan, like Pinot Grigio there is way too much over-priced junk in the market. In general, this region rarely presents good value and the region has been expanded far too much with looser regulations that have resulted in a lack of quality for the price. I have found a few Chianti Classico Reserva that have completely delivered for the price in recent vintages (2006 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva), but otherwise this region is not my go-to for value or anything interesting or exciting.

Sangio haters!

Brunello is a different clone of sangio grown in a much different climate with different soil and different intentions. A category of wine invented in recent history that is associated with lots of oak flavors. give me the classics!

Yes thanks, unfortunately (in fact I am really fortunate) I live in Austria. Haven’t found any importers yet.

QOTD: I got nothing for Chianti. Too hard to get in France and too many other interesting options in Italy (Amarone for example – thanks to you!)

Love this tight format and to see how quickly you are able to taste and evaluate a wine. That said, I’d prefer only 2 wines and a bigger nerd factor, particularly for Italy which is such a puzzle in terms of wine but so fascinating. Love it when you get your wine geek going!

Keep up the good work!

Liked the show as usual, and I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who isn’t too high on Chianti. Chianti was the first Italian wine I was exposed to when I started drinking wine around my 21st birthday, but then I moved to Italy. Now I think Chianti is boring, often over-oaked, and the majority is certainly produced for the American market. That said, I have tasted some excellent riservas and even classicos at VinItaly before. I just think that most Chianti producers stopped producing Italian style wine before I started drinking wine 5 years ago.

Chianti will always be part of my rotation, no matter how much Gary disses it, if for no other reason because my late father introduced me to it and it?s reminiscent of times with him. Beyond that, I?ve found plenty of Chiantis in my price range that have served me well. I buy many, but one that I?ve bought repeatedly is Gabbiano Classico. It has the oak that I like (another example of me not keeping in step with Gary). Gary has added several varietals to my rotation such as Barbera and Dolcetto, for this, and for years of entertainment, I am grateful.

QOTD: not a big Chianti fan but the Antinori “Peppoli” Chianti Classico (which if I remember has been already on this show, even more than once) is always a good non expensive drink

Also wanted to ask, I can’t get to play Gary’s videos on my iPhone4… am I missing something? And also, is there an iPhone App for WineLibraryTV ?

Happy 2 see another blind tasting show, Gary. Always fun 2 experience the spontaneous uncertainty of such a show. Have 2 say that, being from Belgium, I really enjoy your appreciation for less known grape varieties (e.g. Aglianico). I’ve been watching your show for about a year now but this will be my first of hopefully many comments. Just to pick in on the QOTD: I do enjoy a good Chianti from time to time but I agree on the unfair balance between price range and quality nowadays. I encourage people to step away from the idea that a “big” name immediately introduces a “big” quality. Although I have to be honest and say that I’m starting to appreciate some great areas from Italy and their relatively unknown productions. Tasted a less known but AMAZING Tignanello the other day (btw/ Diego, It was also from the amazing Tuscan winemakers of Antinori) at a degustation of the ANTINORI winemakers themselves and it literally blew me away. Maybe a suggestion for upcoming shows could be to introduce some less known productions BUT from world wide known areas, just to enlarge the viewers’ perspective??? Anyway, enjoy the enthusiasm and hope to comment more on the shows,