Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2008

I’m going to kick this off before I even taste the stuff – dig around the net a bit and see what I can find out about Gabbiano Chianto Classico. I expect it will be nice, having a few years of age, coming from a reputable chateau and having the highest classification given to Italian wines (DOCG).

One of the places I like to browse for reviews is cellartracker.com. There’s is often a broad range of notes for any one wine. It is rare to find folks there in agreement but if you dispense a couple upper scores and a couple lower scores then what’s left gets you a generalized idea about the wine. In this case around a 86 – 87 point wine which is a touch less than what I was expecting so not too much of a change in expectations yet. Check that – I was looking at the regular Classico, not the Riserva.

It’s become the norm that I start by saying ‘the nose has notes of dark berries, plums with some wood..’ well sir, no berries here. At least it’s not a dominant aroma – in fact the aromatics are fairly quiet. What I do pick up is tea and cedar/leather – nice but not very robust. The very first impression is a bit odd, not a bad taste but a little strange in the way it develops. When it first hits my mouth my first impression is that it feels watery. This is a lighter styled wine, no doubt in that but if you’re a big bold wine lover, you’re probably not reaching for the Chianti anyways. So moving on the wine starts to grow, it releases some of its lovely flavors, tea again – then all of a sudden the tannins wake up and grab your tongue & cheeks (in a nice way). The finish is on the light side but for the lingering tannins. If you like a light wine with tannic presence then give ‘er a go. Myself – I like it but I happen to like Chiantis, Pinots and such. I won’t be buying a case but I might pick up another bottle (or two) for the next time I make some schnitzel or herbed chicken.Definitely a wine to try if you like a lighter styled wine from time to time. If I were to peg a number on this I’d say about a 90 – decent to be sure.

Speaking of cooking, let me share a great cooking site with you. I’ve made 4 or 5 of his recipes over the past couple weeks and all have turned out great. If you’re the family chef and time is a bit of an issue then be sure to check out Ricardo Cuisine – my 5 year old loved the creamed carrots with chicken (which would go nicely with this wine).

Don’t forget to check out the winemaker’s website and in parting – here’s a shot of the place.