It doesn't always cost a small fortune to taste the talents of great producers, and these wines are two great examples. Up first was the 2003 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d'Alba. This wine isn't from a great vintage, and it certainly won't ever match up with the great Barolos and Barbarescos from Giacosa, but this wine was surprisingly full of life. Perhaps the age has allowed the tannins to soften somewhat, and the fruit is still there, which I was afraid would not be the case. I'd imagine that less talented winemakers wouldn't have crafted a wine that would stand up like this, but Giacosa has. I still have one more bottle of this, and will report on it in the coming months.
The second wine was a step up, as it is a young wine from a great vintage, just a lower-end production (though no slouch at $30 a bottle). The 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico is really a treat. It is still quite young, and will benefit from a few years of age, but it is one of the best mid-level Chiantis I have had. This wine has everything I could ask for, with fruit, tannins, and acidity, which balanced out after a couple of nights. With a few years of bottle age, this will be a phenomenal wine. I have a bottle of 2004 still in the cellar, and another bottle of this 2006 as well. Of course, I had tasted this wine at Vinitaly and knew its potential, but just had to try it again to confirm. For those who might not be able to afford Fontodi's flagships (Flaccianello and the Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Riserva), this is a wonderful choice.
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