Castello di Volpaia, Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) 2004 (Wilson Daniels, $34): Change being the constant that it is, many Chianti Classicos these days are not particularly classic. 
Exaggerated ripeness, fleshy texture, and strong aromas and flavors of oak are fairly common among high-end Chianti Classicos--those that have the extra year of aging necessary for the Riserva category--and the wines are therefore richer and heavier than they traditionally were. In Castello di Volpaia's Riserva, however, classic delicacy and grace still reign.
Castello di Volpaia is a very special Chianti property. It is situated in the tiny, 11th century walled village of Volpaia, in the Radda district of Chianti Classico. The winery's longtime owners, Giovanella Stianti and Carlo Mascheroni, own about two-thirds of the quaint town and operate an osteria, an agriturismo and an enoteca there (for visitors' dining, lodging and wine-buying needs, respectively). Their vineyards surround the village--which means that they are on the hillsides below the village, because Volpaia is the highest site within the classico zone. This Riserva come from vineyards at 1300 to 1970 feet in altitude.
The more that you explore the wines of Chianti Classico, the more you realize how much they can vary according to the district where the vineyards are situated. The wines of the Radda district, because of the high altitude sites there, tend to be the most finely-tuned of the appellation. Castello di Volpaia's Chiantis epitomize Radda.
This 2004 Riserva is a lovely, elegant wine with delicate aromas and flavors within a firm but not overly big structure. The aromatics include fresh, tart cherry--Chianti Classico's signature note--as well as black cherry, spice and a hint of menthol. Unconsciously bracing myself for toasty oak aromas and flavors when I taste a Riserva, I find none here, but just the gentlest whiff of vanilla. In fact, only 20% of the wine aged in new French oak barriques, while the rest aged in larger casks of Slavonian and French oak.
Volpaia's light hand with the oak is one of the aspects of this wine that marks it as classic to me. Others include the pure fruit flavors that are concentrated but not overly ripe, as well as the enlivening acidity and the firm grape tannin of Sangiovese, which gives the wine a slight grip on the rear palate. The wine's fruit character is fresh and bright enough to mark the wine as today's Chianti, but that fruitiness does not obliterate the wine's depth, dry texture and length across the palate, which are classic.
As I sit and sip this wine from a large Bordeaux-style glass, it opens with the air. It is young now and will cellar nicely for ten years, in my opinion. But don't hesitate to try it now, giving it just a bit of air. It is delicious, it has very high quality and it is, now more than ever, an original Chianti Classico.
91 Points
