{"id":6367,"date":"2023-07-21T12:41:46","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T12:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/21\/chianti-classico-step-1-chianti-classico\/"},"modified":"2023-07-21T12:41:46","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T12:41:46","slug":"chianti-classico-step-1-chianti-classico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/21\/chianti-classico-step-1-chianti-classico\/","title":{"rendered":"Chianti Classico &#8211; Step 1 : Chianti Classico"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-6366\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Chianti_Classico_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"375\" height=\"196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Chianti_Classico_1.jpg 375w, https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Chianti_Classico_1-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>(February 2023) &#8230;<\/strong><\/em> This might be the bottom rung on the ladder, but this is the calling card of the region, so you better be able to make a good one. I focused much of my days on step two and three on the ladder (<a href=\"https:\/\/michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/on-the-road\/3917-chianti-classico-step-2-chianti-classico-riserva\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Riserva<\/strong><\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/on-the-road\/3918-chianti-classico-step-3-gran-selezione\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Gran Selezione<\/strong><\/a>), but I did want to get a look at the basics to get an idea about the vintage. My notes capture an array of wines from the years 2018 to 2021 with the top scoring wines being from &#8217;20 and &#8217;21.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were also some barrel samples that I scored for potential: Good \/ Better \/ Best. In all, 68 Chianti Classicos were tasted &#8230; not all wines have notes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>TOP TIER Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Brancaia 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em> <\/span><br \/>A nice wine with good structure and elegance, lots of darker fruit &#8211; a pleasant weekend wine &#8230; <strong>(****)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Fontodi 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Filetta di Lamole<\/em> <\/span><br \/>Really nice juicy red fruit and dusty tannins; balanced off with a lovely acidity &#8230; <strong>(****)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Rocca delle Macie 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em> <\/span><br \/>Raspberry and cherry lead this off &#8211; it&#8217;s fresh with good cleansing acidity; ready for the next bite? &#8230; <strong>(****)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>THREE-and-a-HALF PLUS Star Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Banfi 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em> <\/span><br \/>&#8212; Easy drinking with good acidity, nice red fruit, and delicate on the tongue<br \/><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Cantalici 2018 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/span><\/em><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Castello Vicciomaggio 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Guado Alto<\/em> <\/span><br \/>&#8212; Fragrant with red fruit and hints of cigar box on the finish <br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Fattoria Le Fonti 2019 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em> <\/span><br \/>&#8212; Dark chocolate cherries &#8211; need I say more? <br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Fattoria Santo Stefano 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Santo Stefano<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Tenuta Villa Trasqua 2019 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Villa Trasqua<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Terre di Melazzano 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Chiandre<\/em> <\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Tolani 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Vallenuova<\/em> <\/span><br \/>&#8212; Light and fresh, red fruit dominates: cherry and raspberry with balancing acidity<br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Torcilacqua 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG&nbsp;<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong>THREE-and-a-HALF Star Wines<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Badia a Coltibuono 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Borgo la Stella 2019 Chianti Classico DOCG <\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Carpineto 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Castello di Ama 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Ama<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Castello di Gabbiano 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Castello di Volpaia 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Volpaia <\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Collazzi 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; I Bastioni<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Fattoria Le Masse 2019 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Le Masse<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Losi Querciavalle 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Querciavalle<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Monteraponi 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Ricasoli 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Brolio<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>San Felice 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em> <\/span><br \/>&#8212; Dark and flavourful with a nice punch on the finish<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>UNFINISHED WINES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Castello di Monsanto 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Better)<\/strong><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Teniuta di Arceno 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Better)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Caparsa 2020 Chianti Classico DOCG<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Good)<\/strong><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Collazzi 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; I Bastioni<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Good)<\/strong><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Gagliole 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Rubiolo<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Good)<\/strong><br \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Le Filigare 2021 Chianti Classico DOCG &#8211; Filigare<\/em><\/span>&nbsp; &#8230; <strong>(Good)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(February 2023) &#8230; This might be the bottom rung on the ladder, but this is the calling card of the region, so you better be able to make a good one. I focused much of my days on step two and three on the ladder (Riserva &amp; Gran Selezione), but I did want to get [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-on-the-road-with-the-grape-guy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6367\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.michaelpinkuswinereview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}