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93 WA. "A pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Philip does a great job of capturing the power and intensity of the vintage. This lovely expression is infused with dark cherry and oak spice that wrap softly over the palate. The quality of tannin is also nicely evolved at this point with silky finishes and a firm sense of presence and weight in the mouth. Last year, Francesco and Filippo Mazzei sent me samples of the 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello Fonterutoli that I reviewed and scored a handsome 94 points. Delays in the creation of the “Grand Selezione” category meant that those samples, at the time of review, should not have been identified under the new appellation heading because it did not exist yet. The samples were, technically speaking, unfinished wines and the Mazzei brothers had jumped the gun when it came to their public debut. To avoid confusion, I was happy to re-taste new samples of the same wine this year. Unfortunately, my tasting results were not consistent and I found the finished wine to be far less interesting than its prototype. The note published here should be considered my official review of the 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello Fonterutoli." Wine Advocate #215, Oct 2014 |