88 2001 Felsina Chainti Classico 4/8/05 ($17)
Color: Deep black raspberry with a touch of purple. Looks a little young. (3.0) Bouquet: Cedary, dried cherry fruit with CC forestal components and alcohol thrown in. Strong, but not elegant. (3.0) Body: Solid middleweight and then some, being pumped up by a heavy dose of oak, but shows some balance nonetheless. (3.0) Flavor: Rich, stewed and dried cherry fruit coming through nuances of cedar and wet leaves with bitterness. (2.5) Finish: Parallels flavor, but cedar and bitter alcohol are more prevalent here, still long. (2.5)
Overall: A wine of high quality from a prime location, but too much cedary oak and alcohol take away its charm at this point. Its quality and strength may enable it to outgrow its faults, but I think I’ll look for a more sure bet (possibly the 2001 Poliziano VNDM or the 2002 Brolio CC). (14.0)