Agricola Querciabella Chianti Classico 2005

It was a difficult vintage.

When you hear that phrase, rest assured that it’s code.  What it means, though, is simple.  Replace the word “difficult” with the word “shitty” and you’ll get the gist.

So when I read Parker’s review of this wine, saying that they did a nice job in this difficult vintage (paraphrased), I was less than optimistic.  But still, with 90 (Gambero Rosso Magazine) – 91 (RP)  points, it was definitely worth a gander. 

Now then, I should make it known that I got the bottle for free.  I write articles for the monthly newsletter at the wine shop where I work, and this was one of my assignments (and as I type this, it’s over a week late).  I really enjoy doing this, as it gives me a chance to taste wines that i wouldn’t ordinarily buy for myself - such as $30 Chianti from a less than stellar vintage – and do my best to objectively review them. 

I cracked the bottle open at about 1:00PM and gave it the old swirl, sniff and taste knowing that I’d be coming back to it later.  There wasn’t much in the way of body, but I was impressed with the acidity and length.  The nose was tight and fairly unimpressive.  It looked like Sangiovese with its nice medium ruby color and orange-ish highlights, but that’s hardly a redeeming factor. 

After some errands and some dinner (thanks Libi), I came back home around 9:00 and poured myself a glass.  It was like a different wine.  The nose had opened up beautifully and showed a lot of subtlety and elegance.  The fruit was lean, reminiscent of tart cherries, black currants and plums.  There were aromas of tobacco, violet and vanilla and a nice minerality.  In the mouth, it was a lightweight wine, but very well balanced.  The fine tannin and fairly high acidity provided good structure.  All in all, I was really very impressed with this wine from a “difficult” vintage.  It just goes to show what a careful and quality oriented producer can coax out of the vine, even when nature doesn’t necessarily cooperate.