San Michele a Torri Chianti Fiorentini 2013

San Michele a Torri 2011 Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG | 14.5% | Ah! One has to love the Chianti of the Florentine hills as one of the coolest high elevation sites in all of Chianti –especially as a foodie looking for a red for hors d’oeuvres –as this is leathern yet bright with nimble and nervy red cherries countered by black tea leaves, the savory fragrant flavors of roasting pan juices where rendered meats meets rosemary and thyme, and then there are those woodsy notes of a pine forest floor in that heady, sapid cedar sappiness that penetrates the senses and calls you to the hills around florence. There is a certain tannic grip –but like a horse with the bit in its teeth, this chirping texture just urges us on and into the next bite and the following sip –and above all these we are beguiled by a rose scented floral top note that makes this one of the great values of Chianti. The cooler microclimates of the Colli Fiorentini incorporate these edgier and nervier elements in their own way –even more invigorating structurally than their neighbors in Ruffina and Chianti Classico making them an absolute dream for endless food pairing possibilities.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, April 1, 2014 (But make no jokes about it this is a Fruit Day par excellence!)

Food Pairings

Seriously anything tomatoey sings with Sangiovese, pizza and pasta to be sure. Sausages, chicken, gazpacho. Bread salad.