2009 Poggio Al Sole Chianti Classico

Tavarnelle Val di Pesa is a small town in the province of Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy. The town is home to Poggio Al Sole winery. In addition to wine, Poggio Al Sole also produces olive oil. The winery was purchased by the Davaz family of Switzerland in 1977, and is run by Johannes and Kathrin Davaz.

The 2009 Poggio Al Sole Chianti Classico was 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine was aged in old oak barrels. The ABV was 13.9%. There were 40,000 bottles of this vintage produced. The wine’s designation was DOCG.

I discovered this wine by way of Restaurant Nicholas, a local restaurant. Nicholas Haray, the restaurant’s owner, has a knack for finding some lesser known gems in the wine world. The wines I’ve gotten from him tend to be hit or miss. I’ve had some outstanding wines and then I’ve had some less than spectacular wines, but no recommendation has ever been a bad bottle.

I was unsure what to expect from this bottle from Italy.

Prior to tasting, the wine was decanted for 1 hour.

Viewing the wine in my glass, the color was a black cherry red.

I would describe the nose as simple, but interesting. Black fruit, cherry, and vanilla all came through in a straightforward, but not overpowering, way.

As I took a sip, I found black fruit, more specifically plum. The wine was initially a bit tannic, despite the aeration. As the evening went on, the wine opened up very nicely. Into the fourth hour, the tannins were completely tamed. It was pretty nice.

While it did not have significant depth, the finish was medium and enjoyable.

Overall, this was an okay bottle of wine. It is a middle-of-the-pack Chianti. The 2009 Poggio Al Sole Chianti Classico cost me $25. It is fair value at that price, not a steal, but not overpriced. It is worth a try, if you are looking for something new, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it.

Cheers!
NJ Vinoman