2013 Chianti Classico
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Tasting notes
The 2013 Chianti Classico wears oversized aromas of dark fruit and cherry that suit the wine very nicely. This is an outwardly generous and beautifully intense wine that mirrors all the high qualities of this celebrated vintage. Red fruit notes of cherry and cassis are woven within a greater context that sees crushed mineral and spice. The growing season was slow and steady leading to perfectly ripe fruit. Isole e Olena adds a bit of Canaiolo to the Sangiovese and those deep, dark fruit elements of the added grape come out strongly in this vintage.
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Still relatively closed on the nose. A little nutty. More red fruit as it opens. Gorgeous yet subtle on the palate. Brisk red fruit, fine texture, dry fresh finish. (JH)
The 2013 Chianti Classico brings together the fresh aromatics of a cool year along with lovely mid-palate pliancy. The flavors are bright, high-toned and decidedly leaning towards the red-fruit end of the spectrum. Crushed flowers, herbs and anise grace the soft, aromatic finish. The overall impression is of lovely mid-palate juiciness, even if the technical stats suggest a lighter-bodied wine. That is why wine can never be measured by numbers alone. Rain in September decimated the Syrah harvest. The little bit that was salvaged was used in the Chianti Classico.
Cask sample. Pale crimson. Ripe fresh strawberry nose. Truly elegant and juicy and with proper chewy tannins on the finish. Ready now. (WS)
About the producer
Situated north of Castellina, on the western side of Chianti Classico, Isole e Olena was created by the De Marchi family in the 1950s and has since become one of the region’s leading names. It is renowned for its top bottling Cepparello, a pure Sangiovese, as well as its brilliant Chardonnay.