What a beautiful surprise. The Fontodi 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo comes from the proverbial sleeper vintage that is hot-trotting it today with gangbuster results. This is a savory, almost full-bodied expression with ample doses of fruit sweetness and tertiary or savory characteristics that are carefully interwoven and integrated. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and rich with a creamy, fleshy finish. Dark fruit, cigar ash and scorched earth emerge from the glass. Aromatically, this wine has less of the mineral signature that we see in the newer vintages, and this could be explained by the fact that a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was added to the blend back in 2008. This underlines an important stylistic shift in the timeline of Vigna del Sorbo (that would later go from Riserva status to Gran Selezione). Overall, this wine is most impressive in terms of mouthfeel, and I'm betting that it will hold for an additional 10 years, if not more. - Monica Larner

Lots of blueberry and vanilla character in this rich and balanced Chianti Classico. Full body with velvety tannins and a long finish. Try it in 2012 to let it come together more in the bottle. This single vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva from Fontodi is always a killer.