The 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is loaded tight with ripe fruit nuances of strawberry, black fruit and prune. San Lorenzo shows a riper, jammy quality of fruit next to Vigneto Bellavista. But, like that other Gran Selezione expression, this wine excels in terms of mouthfeel with polished tannins and a great sense of energy and momentum.

Compared to the 2011 vintage, the 2010 Chianti Classico Vigneto Gran Selezione San Lorenzo is a wine of good depth and focus thanks to the cooler vintage. The bouquet shows standard Chianti Classico aromas of bright fruit and cherry with offbeat tones of Pecorino cheese rind and white chocolate thrown into the mix. In the mouth, it shows extraction and power.

Solid and firm with cassis, berry and mint aromas and flavors. Full body and full tannins, but fruity and succulent on the finish. Drinkable now. 1,000 cases made.??–null??Region: Italy / Chianti Classico Select to Add

Massive, muscular and made for aging. Very concentrated, with wild berry and plum aromas and flavors and full tannins. Lay this away in your cellar; try after 1995 to '97.??–null??Region: Italy / Chianti Classico Select to Add

This producer turns out a relatively austere, tannic, tight-fisted style of Chianti that is not my favorite, but one has to admire the wines' purity and structure. The wines are more architectural than hedonistic. With that in mind, readers would be better off spending the $16 asked for the 1990 Chianti Classico than over twice that amount on the single vineyard wines, which are only negligibly better. The 1988 Chianti Classico San Lorenzo exhibits tougher tannins, and more firmness and tightness. While the color is deep ruby and there is excellent underlying fruit and ripeness, this wine requires 2-3 years of patience. If the tannins do not fully melt away, my rating will look too generous. Importer: Divino, Chicago, IL.