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Message: [QUOTE="MCC, post: 1184571, member: 145"] Review: Rocca delle Macie chianti classico riserva 2010. $18.99. [IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wM3lLGbJAAs/UiUWvWeulVI/AAAAAAAALAg/aqLGvKoasQI/s1600/2010roccadellemaciechianticlassico.jpg[/IMG] Apologies for the huge image - wanted to make sure folks got a clear view of the label. So I'm drinking this with a ribeye and home-made fries. Wanted a brunello but couldn't find the one I was after so went with a dry sangiovese with sufficient ABV (14%) to hold the line. [NB: ribeye algorithm: prime dry aged cut 2 inches thick (the local Wegman's cuts it for me). Season with pink himalayan sea salt and garlic, a little of Roufus' dry rub. Let sit at room temp for 30 mins. Get grill to 700F. Grill 100s per side, don't mind occasional flare ups as they yield a nice char due to Maillard reactions from small amounts of brown sugar in the rub. Take off, put in iron skillet, cover with Al3+ foil and set aside for 14 mins. Let grill settle at 415F and then put skillet back in but be sure to remove foil. Grill 7 mins per side and it should come out a nice medium rare (closer to rare than medium but fat should be rendered). Let stand for 5 mins only - then deploy a non-serrated knife of suitable length. I cannot abide serrated knives...] Back to the wine: somewhat fruit forward but I get hints of a barolo-like florality on the nose. I actually seek out this chianti for that reason - it departs from the standard brickish blackfruit nose, and has a significantly smoother mouthfeel than you'd expect from a fairly dry sangiovese. This is a young wine and decanting would let it open; I elected to eschew the decanter and pour into a nice barolo glass and let sit for 10 mins before I got to it. As an aside, the whole decanting thing has become obstreperous: totally unnecessary for older wines on their "last gasp", and overrated ("Not ten ing games! Not ten! These other guys just weren't ready.") for wines suspected to have sediment. I do think it makes sense for younger wines that you'll pour [I]in toto[/I] for a group of guests: you give the wine a bit of time to flower. So I also get some pleasant leather and black currant on the nose. Presents a dark ruby red, not opaque. Meniscus is firm with nice parallel tears. Easily distinguishable from similar robust (high ABV) blackfruit reds like malbecs based on (1) no blue meniscus, (2) slight brick-burn tang and (3) slight astringency due to drier grape. A little one-dimensional on the tongue; I get the smooth blackfruit - fortunately falls well short of cloying - and a hint of alcohol-soaked raspberry. Some residual heat from the alcohol. No detectable tannins (not surprising). Can't pick up any earthiness or pepper - again, not surprising and rather characteristic of the region. Again I come back to the nose: it truly is captivating; chords of barolo and brunello - a really nice delivery. I think this wine would stand up very well to some choice mushrooms and cheese... in fact, I have a properly aged Cambozola (a German blue and truly underrated IMO) in my fridge. Swirling wine with the right, spaldeened the cheese with the left... The slightly dry red does well to partition the salt from the tang of the Cambozola. Each enhances the better qualities of the other. And here is probably where this review is best ended: the 2010 Rocca delle Macie chianti classico riserva offers an unexpected but outstanding nose, and more than holds its own on the olfactory front (pipe this stuff in to my bedroom at night). On the palate it shows well but isn't memorable. However, when wedded to a proper blue - born of tang and salt - this wine really shines. It certainly stood up to and enhanced the ribeye. I'd suggest tabling this wine with non-gamey meats and tangy, salty cheeses. Given its proclivity to barolo-like flowering, one might serve mushroon caps with a melted gruyere or stilton as an appetizer. At $18.99 I think it's fair value, with the 14% ABV putting it over the top (nothing's worse than an underpowered red). Hope this write-up was entertaining and I'd be honored if it informed some decisions at your local wine shop. [/QUOTE]

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