Score: 91/100
Being the ‘Riserva’, this is Viticcio’s highest level Chianti Classico DOCG.
Like a Classico is ought to, the wine is made primarily of Sangiovese (90%) with a 5% Merlot and a 5% Syrah.
It was aged in 225 and 300 l barrels for 12 months and large Slovanian oak barrels for another 8 months.
While VIticcio’s first ever Chianti Classico wine was with vintage 1966, their first year of production for the Riserva was 1970.
I personally love the black label, making it look very ‘chic’ (high-end). The black rooster on the back label, symbol of the Chianti Classico DOCG denominazione is always a distinctive mark I enjoy seing on a bottle.
Tasting Notes
The wine is dark, red, intensely colored, nearly black to the rim, bright red and quite youthful to the rim.
The nose is super-intense. What jumps out of the glass is primarily, at least initially the fruit: bright ripe berries, raspberry and blackberry. Plenty of spicy oaky tones too. Swirl the glass and it becomes peppery, almost minty and there’s a big burst of intense aromas: coffee, cocoa, vanilla.
Powerful palate too, very dry with loads of intense flavors of oak and primary fruit combined. Tannins are loose and a little drying. Solid acidity lifts up the freshness of the berry fruit flavors.
Overall
A ripe, powerfully-fruity and spicy Chianti Classico, full of personality and filled with primary fruit concentration and oaky flavors.
A solid and typical Chianti Classico, with concentrated fruit characters and distinctive signs of a long aging in oak.
Please let me know your thoughts