This is from a Vintages release last fall; there are still a few left at Manulife, Queens Quay, and Atrium.

Colognole Chianti Rufina 2003, 13.5%, $16.95: This is the wine that really revealed to us why we could get to like Chianti , and a good bargain to boot. It’s an elegant wine not a party wine, think of taking our favourite $7 Farnese then giving it a great deal more character. A good wine for pasta or pizza if you want to go upscale a bit. J. says “rich satisfying nose” including bing cherry, earth, leather, and tobacco, which follows through on the palate (we both hate wines with amazing noses but generic palates). Dry, medium acid and body, “mellow” tannins (J.), good balance and avg+ finish.

Incidentally, we also did notes on the 2004 Farnese Sangiovese: wild cherry, black cherry, bright fruit and pink peppercorn (M. will approve…) on the nose, decent follow-through on the palate. Ripe but not too ripe. Simple, cheap and cheerful, not too much oak, and no nasty carbonic bubblegum-ness. All this for $7.