90 2001 Brolio Chianti Classico 3/13/04($14)
Color: Deep reddish-garnet, just a little young looking.(3.0) Bouquet: Ripe stewed cherries and cranberries with refined clay and roasted almond terroir. Also some cigarbox and mint.(3.5) Body: Solid middleweight with good fruit-to-tannin-to-acid balance.(3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but not quite as forward. May improve with 6-18 months of bottle age.(2.5) Finish: Parallels bouquet, but tannins are more prevalent here. Nutty, terroir-driven complexity still comes through.(3.0)
Overall: An amazing value! Its competitors from within the region go for $25+ a bottle.(Felsina, Fontodi, etc.) It is also a very consistent wine,‘97-’01 vintages have all been in the 88-90 point range. If you enjoy fine Sangiovese, stock your cellar with this one for everyday drinking or even short term cellaring, 1-3 years.(15.0)