TN: 1999 Fontodi Chianti Classico

[tjaehnigen]

5/3/03

TJ Points = 88 -- $ I forget ($20-25-ish?)

I had this this evening paired with a Mario Batali recipe with a few substitutions -- basically tilapia with mushrooms reduced in wine with totamto sauce and butter thrown in -- usually made with monkfish (which is better) but this was really quite good.

Immediate nose of blueberries and meat. Layered spices and oak nuances later. Plenty of acidity and nice berried flavors. Decent tannins and nice long finish. I got the distinct feeling I was drinking bacon at one point. This is a pretty tasty wine and it expands my education in chianti classicos.

[tjaehnigen]

I popped this tonight and paired it with pizza (I know, I know pizza twice this week -- what can I say, I'm busy!) and it paired well.

I have lost the blueberries this time around, but picked up more meat, this time slightly seared/charred, along with charred wood, a wild sort of iodidic sense and darker berries. It brought on a deep sense of marrow , charred bones and meat along with plenty of meat and berries in the mouth. Kind of peppery and spiced this time around, too. Legnthy finish was good too.

I'd rate this at 89+ now, not quiiiite over the top to a 90, but an improvement over last time and last time wasn't bad at all!

[Craig Camp]

Was it the food that changed your experience??

For me even the smells in the kitchen while I am cooking change my perceptions on wines. That is why I try to taste them over a day or two in different conditions - just like this. I change, the environment changes, the wine changes - a marvelous moving target. What fun.

...and I agree - really nice wine.

[DaleW]

Agree, nice wine. When I first started enjoying CC, someone told me "buy the Fs". One could have a worse strategy than buying Fontodi, Fonterutoli (sp?), and Felsina.