Fanetti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva (Tuscany, Italy) 2015

 This traditional wine is so traditional that I can barely recall some of the aromatic and flavor nuances from my initial studies in wine in the latter half of the 1980s — and that is a good thing.  A very good thing, for me at least.  I love it that producers still exist who will stick to their guns to make a Riserva like this and that there are still importers who will bring them to our side of the Atlantic.  To be technical for starters, there are obviously oxidative characteristics that are throwing off the balsamic and leathery notes that are so striking about this, and yet it would be a mistake to simply write that “the wine is oxidized.”  That’s not true, due to the fact that there are still primary fruit notes present, and a layer of fruit sweetness that counterbalances the panoply of tertiary subtleties, making for a compelling combination of fresh and aged aspects that I find irresistible.  I’m sure that this won’t prove to be everyone’s “cup of tea,” but for me it is a wonderfully endearing time capsule in a bottle.  I have deliberately scored it conservatively because I know this will prove a bit surprising for those who only drink technically orthodox, ultra-modern New World wines, but even then, this chalks up 91 points as a recommendation for anyone and everyone — though it would earn another couple of points if only my taste were at issue.