2006 Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina

Ahhh, a long day at work with another long one set for tomorrow, so tonight I relax with a nice glass of Chianti!  Tonight's selection was from my office wine club, a nice Chianti Rufina from an estate that traces its roots back to the 11th century, Castello di Nipozzano.  Not to be confused with the standard Chianti Classico, the Chianti Rufina comes from the furthest corner of the Chianti DOCG, perched almost as a separate addition to the northeast corner of the Chianti region, just to the east of Florence.  Blessed with a distinct soil and climate from the broader region, along with long, warm and dry summers creates a distinctive taste to this wine.

Given this background, it's not surprising that this wine exhibits much different characteristics than its dry Sangiovese cousins.  With a rich ruby color, the wine exhibits a nose of earth, leather and spicy oak, offering a preview of its structured tannins, coupled with a hint of black cherry suggesting an interesting balance in taste.  The wine has wonderful flavors of rich fruit, with rich berries, with with a tangy zest of acidity that offers an amazing balance.  This one can really get you going, thinking it's going to be a sweet fruity wine, but then in the end it snaps you back in a completely different direction!  As for food pairings, this would go wonderfully with a classic zuppa Toscana, or the classic fagioli, beans on Tuscan toast, and especially a wonderfully grilled steak, a favorite throughout Tuscany!  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, only because it's a bit on the expensive side at $17, but still a wondefuly wine to end the day!