San Felice Chianti Classico '07

   This Chianti from the Classico DOCG is a textbook example of what good everyday Chianti can be. It's also one of the reasons that I love Italian wines. Sangiovese is the grape of course, and this version gave me everything I love about Sangiovese from this part of the world. Complex aromas of smokey cherry, cinnamon and cloves give way to medium-bodied bitter cherry flavors with notes of licorice and leather. It's elegant and beautiful and even though I expected a touch more body from an '07, a generally warm and ripe vintage in Tuscany, there's a lot to like with this wine. Chianti has been made in various forms for centuries of course and some folks still think of it as a quaint little peasant quaff that usually comes in a bottle with that straw covering. Some misconceptions are hard to change but there really has been a quality revolution in this and many other parts of the wine world. Although now under corporate ownership, San Felice is a producer who has been around an awfully long time and their track record is quite solid. At $13.99 this is a Chianti bottling to seek out. Cheers.