Banfi Chianti Classico 2009

Last night I tried my first-ever Chianti Classico, a wine that I absolutely should know more about. Chiantis are a type of wine that sell quite often at my parents' shop, and whenever somebody asks me about them I feel I have to get my mom, Lucia, to help me out with the recommendation. To tell you the truth, out of the twelve or so Chiantis we carry, I usually end up selling the 2008 Renzo Masi Chianti Riserva, just because I can say it scored 90 points with Wine Spectator. Needless to say, I've got a lot of learning to do about Chianti.

So, the 2009 Banfi Chianti Classico, in my opinion, is a pretty good wine. We sell it for $15.99 at the shop, which I think might be a $2 stretch for what I think it should go for. Of course, somebody who's palate appeals to this particular Chianti, would definitely be getting a great deal on it.

This Chianti has some nice features to it. It has a lovely deep violet color, something I wouldn't have expected from such a young wine (to note, Chiantis are meant to be had young, anyways.) The wine's aromas were mild, but very pleasant. But don't misunderstand me by when I say mild, I caught strong whiff of the Chianti as soon as I opened the bottle, it's just that the scents themselves aren't overwhelming.

The scents I'm talking about are violets, blueberry or strawberry jam, and just a tiny hint of... orange peels. Typically orange peels are a quality found in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, but I don't know why, I'm 100% sure I got the slightest hint of it in the nose. After breathing for just fifteen minutes in the glass, the wine opened up another scent, at first I couldn't tell what it was, but after muting the TV and shutting my eyes shut (which is scientifically proven to make you smell better) I imagined myself in a big, wine-filled, wooden barrel. I guess that's the oak.

When I finally got around to tasting it, right off the bat I got the sugary aspect of the blueberry/strawberry jam on the tip of my tongue. The mid-palate left much to be desired, regarding the evolution of the flavor. What was nice, was the light-to-medium body with its weightless texture. It had just the right amount of acidity, at least for the mid-palate taste, but the acidity in the finish didn't really do it for me (when the wine breathed ten minutes more, it was much more enjoyable.)

Overall, for my first Chianti, I can't say I'm not impressed with what the blend can do between the $10-$20 range. Would I pay $15.99 plus tax for this wine? Probably not. But if I was looking for something simple that won't overpower the meal I'm having, then yeah, I guess this wine gets the job done.

So! Episode 3 had a lot less fooling around, and I can't say I'm happy about that. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Ben Jammin, who pointed out my overuse of parentheses. Thank Ben Jammin for the less entertaining episode, but also thank Ben Jammin for the more practical episode.

That said, please check out my series of video blogs that I'm using to help out my customers at the shop in Tuckahoe, the second video blog is coming out sometime before Sunday, so stop by the link on the top of my page to check it out sometime by then if you're interested! Thanks again for the viewership, and thanks all for the encouragement!