"Riserva Ducale Oro 2007 is ruby red in color, with garnet hues. The wine shows the distinctive Tuscan bouquet of a great Chianti Classico Riserva with notes of violet, cherry and plum which fades into aromas of chocolate and spice. On the palate, the wine has well-defined structure and a generous, fruity core accented by hints of chocolate, cinnamon and spicy hints of black pepper. Full-bodied and well-balanced with powerful fruity notes, Riserva Ducale Oro’s round yet impressive tannins support a good acidity and lead into a lengthy finish featuring notes of plum, clove and sweet tobacco."

"The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is beautiful in this vintage. It shows gorgeous mid-palate depth and pliancy, with wonderful richness in its sweet dark fruit, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs. The 10% Cabernet Sauvignon works particularly well in this vintage, as it seems to give the wine a measure of depth and delineation that is less obvious in the Flaccianello. Higher toned floral notes add lift on the finish. The Vigna del Sorbo is a touch restrained in 2008, as are most wines, yet it shows fabulous balance and tons of personality."

"The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is a wine that expresses a contemporary vision of what Chianti Classico can be but without ever fully abandoning its roots. The single-vineyard Vigna del Sorbo adds 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (planted on Sangiovese rootstocks) to the Sangiovese. Texturally it is classic Sangiovese with the fine, sweet tannins that are the hallmark of the vintage, while the Cabernet adds a sepia-hued dimension to the fruit and an element of greater richness in the body, but without dominating the aromatic or flavor profile. The radiant warmth of Panzano doesn’t hurt either, as the fruit is gloriously ripe and soft in this vintage. Everything is beautifully in balance, including the oak, which is barely perceptible."