This is the first Italian DOCG wine that’s somewhat of a disappointment. Not bad, but doesn’t live up to its brothers.
The full label in gold on black reads Marchese above the picture and De Petri, 2006 below the picture. For whatever this means, and we’re about to do some research, perhaps these names provide a clue about the familial differences. Marchese Antinori seems to be the combination of names that makes the really good Chianti. Good here is solely judged by the price, over $30, since I don’t have one to sample. The Antinori family, it seems, owns, and has owned for many hundreds of years, all the best vineyards in the region. This is not the Antinori wine. I’m not sure where Marchese fits in. I’m going to guess he’s a fellow wine maker and some type of partner. As for De Petri? That is a mystery. Well the names didn’t really help much. But now we know what this is not.
Another wine review blog, titles their review of this wine as “Cheap Wines That Don’t Suck”. I’d have to agree. Although we disagree that this Chianti is better than some of the other inexpensive Chianti reviewed previously here. The taste is neutral, meaning not much taste that stands out. The wine is smooth, meaning no harsh tastes or bad feelings in the mouth. The wine has some acidity to it. Almost like a white wine. For basically the same price, the other wines in the top two spots of our Top 10 list are a natural choice. But read on.
The wine is more old school Chianti than new school Chianti. This wine is more like the Chianti my parents used to pour me in an 8 oz. water tumbler (not to the top) when I was many many years younger than the legal drinking age. That same kind of wine followed me and my friends into our late teens where an inexpensive bottle went a long way. Non the worse for that wear and tear, for anyone wanting to relive their youth, or more specifically, my youth, invite your friends over and give this a try with some pizza or a bowl of pasta with a rich thick garlicky tomato sauce. If the pizza is good, some of the oil will start to drip off the slice on down your wrist. If the sauce is good, some of it will jump on your shirt. Towards the second glass, the cleaning bills won’t matter. The hands will start to speak more than the mouth and the table will be filled with conversation and laughter. After all, that’s really what Italian wine is about.
Price $5.99 at Trader Joe’s
Tags: chianti, De Petri, docg, IL Valore, IL Valore Marchese De Petri Chianti Riserva 2006 DOCG, marchese, price, review, reviews, riserva, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
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