Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) Riserva 2012

($28): Castello di Volpaia consistently makes wonderful Chianti Classico.  This Riserva combines a good density of black cherry-like fruit and a lovely herbal earthy component.  A beefy wine, they’ve imbued it with power without sacrificing finesse or a graceful signature.  Despite its intensity, it’s still clearly identifiable as Chianti Classico because of the great Tuscan acidity and savory notes.  You get a lot of complexity for the price.  Fine to drink now with robust fare, it will be even better after a few more years of cellaring when even more complexity will emerge. 93 Michael Apstein Feb 23, 2016