As I am wont to do, I checked in on the *little sister* of a rather nice wine I had last week. Here’s the normal CC and it shows many of the same lean, austere, rather restrained points of the Riserva. Nothing exuberant or cloying, nothing over-the-top or particularly concentrated, not even “delicious”, really, but herein lies my–and I emphasize MY–appreciation for Sangiovese.

Glorious black cherry, thin but relevant graces the nose. Not partucularly funky, as in: no spectacular and/or troubling old-world nuances present themselves. It’s all rather clean and inviting, though *tuned down* from something #winebro would get excited about. “Italian” definitions exist, though, with neutral old barrel or puncheon aging prevalent in bouquet. Slight vegetal glares savory beauty in all directions, a welcome counter-point to the modest fruit. Funk seems to grow with increased air, turning the nose into distinct limp blossom.

In the mouth, more thin and clean, with steely points arising early and often. So crisp. Legally, I don’t recall a Chianti Classico this modest. It exists somewhere between Flacci and Carpineto in its ability to project Sangiovese in a package which might not see full fruition on the tongue for several decades. This can be a risky move, but with Mazzei, I think it’s justified. Wines like this demand patience.

2017 MAZZEI ‘Fonterutoli’ Chianti Classico DOCG Italy 13.5

https://us.mazzei.it/