The Lanciola 2016 Chianti Colli Fiorentini Riserva is 95% Sangiovese blended with other complementary grapes of the region. The wine offers a pretty bouquet with variety-specific tones of wild berry, cassis, rose and blue flower. Those lifted aromas of lilac and dried lavender give the wine a gentle and even-paced personality. This wine is aged in large oak casks and sees its fruit sourced from a site with clay schistous soils. The mouthfeel is lean with mineral notes of granite and pencil shaving. Production is 4,000 bottles, and you get great value. This is a perfect partner to a sausage and broccoletti pizza.

Round and simple, with some berry and black pepper character. Drink now. 900 cases made.??–JS??Region: Italy / Chianti Colli Fiorentini Select to Add

Serious Chianti. Good amount of berry, blackberry and mushroom aromas follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with loads of fruit and a long, long finish. Drink now through 2004. 890 cases made.??–JS??Region: Italy / Chianti Colli Fiorentini Select to Add

Offers bright cherry and floral aromas, with similar flavors and, on the finish, a hint of oak. Medium- to full-bodied. A touch dry. Try after this year. 700 cases made.??–null??Region: Italy / Chianti Colli Fiorentini Select to Add

The solidly made Chiantis reviewed in this segment are not the most opulent or hedonistic, but will be admired by those who prefer Chiantis with grip and tannin. The 1994 Fiorentini Riserva exhibits a dark plum color, cedar, asphalt, and smoky notes in the nose, coarse tannin in its rustic, medium-bodied personality, and an austere, hard finish. If it drops some of the tannin, it will be far better balanced. For now, this is a good but tough-textured Chianti to drink over the next 5-6 years. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900