Ruffino Riserva Oro Ducale Chianti Classico 2004

This is one of the best you can get at this price. This IS chianti classico

July 2009

Dark ruby red color with aromas of dried plums and hints of blueberry followed by leather, oak and a bit of gingersnap. The palate was lush with vibrant acidity showing cranberry and sweet cherry, a bit of cinnamon and milk chocolate. Finishes long with more cranberry and citrus rind. Wow. An unexpected and wonderful performance.

August 2009

91 pts from Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate! - The 2004 Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro remains the bellwether wine from this historic property. It is a layered, full-bodied wine with attractive notes of tobacco, sweet red cherries, wild herbs and toasted oak. The wines density, persistence and complexity make it one of the better versions in recent memory. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. JUNE 08 ISSUE OF ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE! - 88 PTS FROM WINE SPECTATOR! - Offers a good bead of crushed blackberry fruit, with hints of mineral and oak as well as dried fruits. Medium- read more...to full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a medium, caressing finish. Nice even now. Best after 2009. 40,000 cases made. JS OCTOBER 08 ISSUE - WINERY NOTES BELOW - Riserva Ducale Oro, produced for the first time in 1947, is an evolution of the wine Riserva Ducale, which saw the light in 1927. - There are no words to describe exactly how much this wine means to Ruffino. Riserva Ducale Oro is a modern classic. It tells the tale of the quality evolution which has characterised the last 50 years of Italy's fine wine production. - Riserva Ducale Oro has a distinctive style, recognizable through the decades of the twentieth century. It conveys the ancient traditions of its homeland. This wine is an intrical part of the history of the people of Chianti Classico. Its nature reflects their strong character, their innate will to find new challenges, their passion for the extraordinaty territory which is their home. - "Terroir" is a word that defines the relationship between soil, climate and human intervention. The interaction of these components results in the characteristics which are often defined as a wine's typicality, identity and personality. - Being well aware of the importance of terroir, the House of Ruffino has searched continuously for the ideal Ruffino wine. In the years after World War II, this research led to the creation of Riserva Ducale Oro, as a natural development of the Riserva Ducale and as a symbol of a new challenge which Ruffino set itself in the Chianti region: what is the real quality and ageing potential of Chianti Sangiovese. - Research was conducted in order to further develop the quality of Chianti Classico Sangiovese. The best vineyards in the Chianti Classico area were selected in different areas where different soils, microclimates and exposures would lead to the creation of a Chianti Classico Riserva able to express the richness of this marvellous territory with its many, inimitable, precious characteristics. - Riserva Ducale Oro undergoes a long ageing period in botti, the traditional Tuscan ageing casks. It is an extraordinarily complex Chianti Classico Riserva featuring a solid structure and elegant perfumes - a truly golden wine. - This wine, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2007, bears a particular significance to Ruffino. - Riserva Ducale Oro is today, at the end of the first decade in the new millennium, as it was in 1947, its first year of production, a sincere, honest wine that honours its home region. A wine of breeding, personality and style, recognisable vintage after vintage to anyone who drinks it. A wine that has travelled widely and won awards and appreciation all over the world. - Riserva Ducale Oro is produced only in the very best vintages. One of this extraordinary wine's main features is, in fact, its longevity. Some of the best vintages in the past 50 years include: 1949 and 1955, 1970 and 1975, 1983 and 1985, 1990, 1999, 2001 and the recent 2003. - RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2004 - 91/100 - Wine Enthusiast 3 bicchieri (3 red) - Gambero Rosso Vini d?Italia 2008 91/100 - Wine News Very good - The Wall Street Journal 91/100 - eRobertParker.com 4 stelle (4 stars) - Decanter RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2003 - 94/100 - Wine Access 94/100 - Gismondionwine.com 90/100 - The Wine Advocate 4 stars - Decanter Magazine 16.5/20, 4 bottiglie - Guida l'Espresso 2008 2 bicchieri - Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia 2008 Le Vins de la semaine - Le Devoir 16/20 - Vinum RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2001 - 3 bicchieri rossi "3 red glasses" - Wine Guide Gambero Rosso "Vini d'Italia" 2005 Super 3 Stelle "3 super stars"- Wine Guide "I Vini di Veronelli 2005" Silver Medal - Swiss Wine Contest Monde Selection 2005 4 Stars - Highly Recommended - Decanter Magazine Bronze Medal - International Wine and Spirits Contest 2005 92/100 - The Wine Advocate 90/100 - The Wine Spectator 90/100 - The Wine Enthusiast RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2000 - 3 bicchieri rossi "3 red glasses" - Wine Guide Gambero Rosso "Vini d'Italia" 2004 Bronze medal - Japan Wine Challenge 2004 Commended - International Wine and Spirits Competition 2004 88/100 - The Wine Advocate Bronze Meda - Korea Wine Challenge 2006 RISERVA DUCALE ORO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 1999 - Spicey bean soup with bacon and grilled sausaces - Black cabbage soup - Prosciutto toscano (Tuscan ham) - Gnocchetti alla fiorentina - Spring lamb casserole - Mixed grilled meat -    (hide)

March 2009

Beautiful intense ruby red in the glass with a typical Chianti nose. Plums, cherries, vanilla and spices fill the air around the glass, the wine is very aromatic. On the palate the wine is full bodied and offers a spectrum of different tastes, herbs, cherries and a little mocha too. Nice smooth coating tannins, good structure and balance. Top Chianti. 92 Points

July 2008

Thisis what I think of when I think of Chianti. great fruit, old cigar box. lots of earth. I love it

June 2009

Tasting Notes - A very classic Chianti Classico bouquet with notes of violets, cherries, plums and inviting spicy sensations. It is elegant and lush, inviting yet subtle, featuring all the distinctive characters of a great Chianti Classico. Full bodied, with a generous, fruity core, where the notes of cherries and small berry fruits intertwine with sensations of Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, and hints of oak. The alcohol is well-integrated in the structure and the tannins are impressive, yet round and soft. The aftertaste is very long and reminiscent of violets, nutmeg, plums and sweet tobacco.

May 2009