Varietal: Sangiovese (unsure of the percentage)
Region: Italy
Cost: $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Ruby red color with orange hues, it reveals a clean floral bouquet with oak, red berry fruit, and hints of vanilla. It has a warm and harmonious taste and it is very rich in the mouth and it has a good long-lasting finish with notes of dark Morello cherry. Pairs perectly with Pasta dishes with rich sauces, soups, red meat and game. Excellent with Tuscan ham or cheese with a medium or long maturing. Ideal with your summer BBQ.
My Review: Chianti, and Italian wines in general, always hold a special place in my heart since they were my gateway into the world of wine. When stumped on something to pick up at the store, or when feeling nostalgic, I often find myself picking up a bottle of Chianti to enjoy with dinner or by itself. Because of that, I was admittedly interested when a trio of Italian red wines showed up for me to review, and after waiting my requisite week for them to recover from traveling, I was eager to open one up with dinner.
The 2011 Giordano Chianti DOCG was, in many ways, exactly what I expected from a sub-$20 Chianti. The color was a nice reddish color with streaks of orange, and on the nose I got good aromas of red fruit and vanilla. In the mouth those same notes carried over, and the wine was bright while still providing a bit of dryness that I enjoy out of my Chianti.
Paired with a dinner of pasta in red sauce (it would have been criminal not to), the wine did a good job of complimenting the meal and paired well with the sauce we used. The wines bright notes were a good pairing with the sauce and the Italian sausage that we had browned and added to the pasta, and even after the food was gone it was enjoyable to sip on.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call this one of the great Chiantis I’ve had in my life, but for the price it’s definitely one that I would consider picking up at the store when I’ve got that desire for a Chianti or nostalgia takes me back to when I was first getting into wine, and it’s versatility with food certainly doesn’t hurt. If you’re looking for a good Tuesday night wine to pair with pasta, you can do a lot worse than this, especially for the price, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
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