The 2008 Chianti Classico Anteprima

Lornano Le Bandite Chianti Classico DOCG 2005

Lively cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is rich and inviting, with bright cherry fruit supported by clean spice and some savory cedar; it's quite young, but there's a lot going on, and it's pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's bright, with clean deft cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that do have slight cedary overtones, and by deft cherry plum acidity that carries into a clean graceful finish. Quite nice, and will drink well with quickly cooked, not too rich meats, or with simple pasta dishes. A beautiful expression of a lesser vintage.
Score: 87

Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2004

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, with elegant balsam-laced berry fruit supported by clean slightly greenish acidity and underlying spice, with a fair amount of vinous alcohol as well. On the palate it's full, and quite smooth, with powerful cherry fruit that gains direction from pleasant cherry-forest berry fruit acidity, and is supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh berry fruit finish. Graceful, and will drink nicely with red meats, ranging from roasts through stews and grilled meats. Expect the bottle to go quickly.
Score: 87-8

Bibbiano Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Lively black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is bright, with lively cherry fruit supported by some brambly acidity and hints of irises as well. Fresh, in a cheeky, smiling sort of way, and pleasant too, rather like a smiling teen. On the palate it's medium bodied, with bright slightly sour cherry fruit supported by clean brambly tannins that have warm greenish undertones, and flow into a clean sour cherry finish with tannic underpinning. It's young, in a graceful sort of way, and will drink nicely with grilled meats or light stews, and will also become gracefully ethereal with time, as the tannins fold into the wine. But I would be tempted to drink it now to enjoy its freshness. Worth seeking out.
Score: 86-8

Bibbiano Vigna del Palannino Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2004

Deep black almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, with rich cherry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and clean vegetal accents with underlying alcohol and spice. Quite elegant, with a lot going on. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry and forest berry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and clean sweet tannins that flow into a clean deft berry fruit finish with cedar underpinning. It's quite pleasant, and will drink well with succulent stews or roasts now, though it also has the capacity to age well for many years. The sort of wine one hates to pour out at a tasting.
Score: 86-8

Castello di Verrazzano Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Impenetrable black cherry ruby. Powerful, brooding bouquet with a great rush of cedar mingled with vanilla laced spice that opens to reveal fairly sweet, almost jammy cherry and forest berry fruit. Quite international in style. On the palate ample and smooth, with frankly languid berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have a considerable bitter cedar component from oak, and flow into a clean bitter finish. It's voluptuous, of the starlet in a glass variety, and quite nice if you like the big, soft, fruit driven wines of the modern style that were perhaps more common a few years ago than they are now. If you are more traditional in taste, you will perhaps not like it as much. Worth seeking out if you like the style.
Score: 86-8

Fattoria La Ripa Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Deep black almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is powerful, in a rather haunting cast, with red berry fruit supported by bitter accents and cedar, with powerful vinous overtones as well. On the palate it's ample, and bitter, with moderately intense red berry fruit supported by moderate citric acidity, and to a greater degree by tannins that have a strong bitter underpinning and flow into a clean bitter finish. It gives an impression of being in mid stride, and at the outset of a rather long journey as well. Put simply, it needs time, at least a year and perhaps more, by which time it will be rather graceful in a lacy key. If you like the more traditional style, you will enjoy it.
Score: 86-8

I Fabbri Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Deep pigeon blood ruby with black reflections The bouquet is fairly rich, with jammy cherry plum fruit supported by clean vegetal accents. Bracing, and pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's bright, with clean rich berry fruit supported by clean sour cherry acidity, and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean sour cherry finish with savory accents. Pleasing, in a light zesty way, and will drink quite nicely with simple grilled meats or light stews, while it also has the acidity necessary to stand up to fried meats and vegetables. I found it growing upon me. Expect the bottle to go quickly, and you way want another.
Score: 86-8

Fattoria di Cinciano Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Lively cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is bright, with lively brambly red berry fruit supported by greenish vegetal accents and sea salt overtones; it's quite zesty in a very keyed up sort of way. On the palate it's bright, with rich cherry fruit supported by clean sour cherry fruit acidity and smooth slightly greenish tannins that flow into a long clean fruit finish that gains definition from bitter accents and warm acidity. Quite pleasant, a food wine that will drink well with succulent red meats or light stews, and I would also be tempted to bring it to a cookout with rich grilled meats. Expect the bottle to go quickly. Worth seeking out if you like a fairly aggressive, rather scrappy style.
Score: 86-7

Terrabianca Scassino Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with somewhat overripe cherry plum fruit supported by clean spice and underlying savory accents, with some underbrush and greenish notes as well. On the palate it's ample and soft, with bright cherry fruit that gains direction from clean slightly tart citric acidity and is supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish that is (again) supported by brisk acidity. Pleasant, and will drink nicely with roasts or stews; it needs another year for the bouquet to catch up with the palate, but will be worth waiting for.
Score: 86-7

Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG 2006

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is a bit behind, with fairly rich brambly berry fruit supported by nose tingling spice, and gives an impression of being in mid stride. On the palate it's bright, with rich cherry fruit supported by lively sour cherry acidity and by tannins that are still slightly splintery, but promise to smooth nicely, and flow into a clean deft sour cherry finish. It's quite graceful in a rich traditional key, and though it needs time badly -- it's not ready to drink as of today -- it will be one of those wines that might not wow at a tasting, but that will be one of the first to go in the dinner that follows. Do give it time to develop, at least a year and perhaps 2.
Score: 85