2013 Chianti Classico Ormanni Gran Selezione Dugentanni Review And Tasting Notes
The 2013 Chianti Classico Ormanni Gran Selezione Dugentanni, in addition to winning the award as the longest name in the history of Tuscan wine, turns out to be a great wine.
Austere, full-bodied, and extremely ripe, it relies heavily on extract and pulp crystallization and achieves great opulence after extensive aging in barrique. Of course, it’s a bit old-fashioned as an interpretation by today’s standards, but definitely elegant and never too woody.
How is it produced?
We are talking about the most representative product of the historic Ormanni del Chianti Classico winery, located between Poggibonsi and Castellina in Chianti. Production is limited to 2500 bottles and only in the best vintages. The best bunches are harvested, de-stemmed, left to macerate, and the must ferment in steel for 20 days and then aged for two years in both new and used barriques. After that, it rests in the bottle for 12 months.
Organoleptic characteristics
After going through such painstaking and expensive steps, the wine is rich and sumptuous, not delicate and nervous. The bouquet is splendid for its richness: it starts with fruit in spirit dipped in mint chocolate, then turns to sweet spices, with tobacco and pepper, which are lost in a shady undergrowth.
The Sangiovese varietal comes out a bit distorted, but it is understandable. Such a process is aimed at enhancing and amplifying every characteristic. Everything has been raised to the nth degree, so don’t expect an intense wine e.
The wine is never clumsy or heavy: it maintains cleanliness and certain aromatic straightness.
On the palate, it is austere, full, rich in pulp, but well defined by a dense and meticulously sculpted tannic texture. The flavors of earth, rhubarb, and cinchona give depth to the sip, making it fluid.
The structure is still impressive, it is not a light or thin wine, but neither fat nor dry. The fruit is ripe and ethereal, and the flavors of dried meat and eucalyptus are already there to strut and do a great job.
There is good acidity, still lively and peppery to support this symphony, excellent for playing down and giving smoothness.
It is not an easy wine to approach. It should be left to breathe in the glass for a couple of hours. But it deserves a taste, considering that it is one of the great classics of Chianti and still looks good today. It won’t be particularly dynamic, but it’s not too stylized either.
Price
45-50 euros: the price reflects the quality of the raw material and the lengthy processing. Overall acceptable.
Food Pairings
Beef tacos, Black truffle risotto, passatelli with Parmigiano fondue and truffle, bucatini all’amatriciana, roast beef, hamburger, smoked beef ribs.