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

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.